UK footfall picks up as non essential stores reopen

With coronavirus lockdown measures easing, Brits are slowly re-emerging onto their high streets, shopping centres and retail parks.

Research by the BRC and ShopperTrak shows that footfall levels are still well below pre-coronavirus levels. However, a decline in June was softer than in May thanks to the reopening of non-essential retail stores on 15th June.

UK footfall decreased by 62.6% in June year-on-year, with a 19 percentage point improvement from May. In the first two weeks the footfall decline averaged 77.1%, improving to 53.3% in the remaining three weeks once all stores were allowed to open in England and Northern Ireland.

Retail parks have performed the best due to a broad mix of retailers, more space and on-site parking, although high streets and shopping centres are quickly catching up. “UK recovery has been sluggish, especially compared with European standards, but retailers with stores remain hopeful that the reopening of hospitality will provide a welcome boost,” says Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at British Retail Consortium.

“The Chancellor’s economic update earlier this week provided critical interventions to protect jobs and incomes for households across the UK. We hope that some of the generous measures taken to support the hospitality industry will benefit footfall for retailers who are in close proximity to restaurants, bars and cafés.”

“However, unless footfall returns to UK streets, government must be prepared to step in and take further action to boost demand, such as widening the VAT cut to include retail goods,” she concludes.