Half Term & Hallowe'en Boosted Retail Footfall Last Week

The latest data from MRI Software shows UK retail footfall rose +8.6% last week, driven by Halloween and the October half term.

Shopping centres led with an +11.5% increase, followed by high streets (+9.3%) and retail parks (+3.9%). The start of the week saw the biggest jump, with footfall up nearly +18% in high streets and shopping centres from Sunday to Tuesday.

Compared to 2024, visits were still -6.1% lower in high streets, but slightly up in retail parks (+0.3%) and shopping centres (+0.8%), suggesting local holiday timings, weather shifts, and family-oriented retail mixes played a role.

Week 44 – SUN-SAT

The final week of the month bought a welcome boost for retailers as Halloween celebrations and the October half term reignited shopper activity across the UK. Footfall rebounded significantly by +8.6% in all UK retail destinations compared to the week before. This was driven by an +11.5% surge in shopping centre visits followed by a +9.3% increase in high street activity. Retail parks also witnessed a rise in visits however this was much more modest at +3.9%. 

The start of the week was particularly strong with double digit rises in high streets and shopping centres, from Sunday to Tuesday, averaging +18.9% and +18.1%, respectively. Some of this uplift is likely to be a natural bounce back in visitor activity following Storm Benjamin in the week before last. Retail park footfall remained steady throughout the week with modest rises recorded from Sunday to Thursday, peaking on Tuesday (+9.8%). However, the week ended with visits to retail parks declining by an average of -3% versus a decline of -1.2% in high streets and -0.3% in shopping centres. This may well be a natural downturn given the strong activity seen throughout the week. 

Coastal towns witnessed the greatest recovery week on week with visits rising by +15.6%, again reflective of the impact of Storm Benjamin combined with half term getaways. Regional towns outside Central London and historic towns also saw footfall rise by +12.3% and +9.5%, respectively suggesting an increase in the number of day trips during the school half term holiday. However, despite the annual uplift, footfall levels still remained -5.5% lower in coastal towns which could indicate a higher number of international holidays taking place as families look to catch some sunshine during the final school holiday before Christmas. 

Compared to 2024, footfall remained -6.1% lower in high streets but remained marginally higher in retail parks (+0.3%) and shopping centres (+0.8%), which could reflect a number of factors in play including the shift in weather conditions, half-term holiday timings in some regions, along with the choice of retail stores and leisure based establishments available for families in certain destinations. Shoppers are returning to retail destinations when school holidays and special occasions align, especially when destinations offer an experiential element to the visit. 

Week 44 – MON-SUN

The final week of the month bought a welcome boost for retailers as Halloween celebrations and the October half term reignited shopper activity across the UK. Footfall rebounded significantly by +7.6% in all UK retail destinations compared to the week before. This was driven by an +10.4% surge in shopping centre visits followed by a +7.7% increase in high street activity. Retail parks also witnessed a rise in visits however this was much more modest at +4.6%. 

The start of the week was particularly strong with double digit rises in high streets and shopping centres, from Monday to Tuesday, averaging +20.4% and +22.5%, respectively. Some of this uplift is likely to be a natural bounce back in visitor activity following Storm Benjamin in the week before last. Retail park footfall remained steady throughout the week with modest rises recorded from Monday to Thursday, peaking on Tuesday (+9.8%). However, the week ended with visits to retail parks declining by an average of -3% on Friday and Saturday versus a decline of -1.2% in high streets and -0.3% in shopping centres. This may well be a natural downturn given the strong activity seen throughout the week. 

Coastal towns witnessed the greatest recovery week on week again reflective of the impact of Storm Benjamin combined with half term getaways. Regional towns outside Central London and historic towns also saw footfall rise suggesting an increase in the number of day trips during the school half term holiday. However, despite the annual uplift, footfall levels still remained lower in coastal towns which could indicate a higher number of international holidays taking place as families look to catch some sunshine during the final school holiday before Christmas. 

Overall, footfall remained -4.7% lower in high streets but remained higher in retail parks (+2.1%) and shopping centres (+2.1%) which could reflect a number of factors in play including the shift in weather conditions, half-term holiday timings in some regions, along with the choice of retail stores and leisure based establishments available for families in certain destinations. Shoppers are returning to retail destinations when school holidays and special occasions align, especially when destinations offer an experiential element to the visit.

Source : MRI Software

Image : William Barton / 737102518 / Shutterstock

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