Storm Eunice fails to derail UK retailers as omnichannel investment pays off

UK footfall led the major European economies in February, as the steady post-pandemic return to the office increased shopper numbers in many towns and city centres, according to research from BRC and Sensormatic Solutions.

Total UK footfall decreased by 14.9% in February (Yo2Y), a 2.2 percentage point improvement from January.

This is better than the three month average decline of 17.2%.

It was also ahead of Spain (-16.4%), France (-20.3%), Italy (-29.1%) and Germany (-42.6%).

A promising start to the month was briefly dampened by Storm Eunice, before bouncing back in the final week of February, to its highest level since the pandemic began.

This coincided with the easing of Covid restrictions in England. Overall, the major cities enjoyed the biggest improvements, particularly London, Manchester, and Birmingham.

“Retailers, large and small, will welcome the return of customers to their stores – a sign their innovation and investment in their physical and digital offerings is working,” says Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at British Retail Consortium.

“However, challenges remain; consumer confidence has been greatly impacted by rising inflation, while the return of hospitality and tourism will create additional competition. Retailers will need to continue the momentum to keep consumers engaged.”

“This represents what many, not least retailers, hope will be the ‘beginning of the end’ of the Covid crisis. Our latest data shows consumer concern about in-store safety fell by -18 percentage points year-on-year, but shoppers now face new and growing pressures,” adds Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA at Sensormatic Solutions.

“The cost-of-living squeeze and inflation, which is putting downward pressures on disposable income, and a volatile macroeconomic and geopolitical climate could create a perfect storm of uncertainty for consumers, which could still impact the long-term retail recovery as it looks to build back post-pandemic.”

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