High Streets Suffer Sharpest June Footfall Drop Since 2019

• MRI Software has published footfall data covering the five-week period from 31^st May – 4^th July 2026.

June was a month where retail footfall was pulled in several different directions. A summer of sport, major music events and periods of extreme heat all created moments of opportunity, but these were not enough to shift the overall picture into growth. 

Across all UK retail destinations, footfall declined -0.9% month-on-month and -1.3% year-on-year, with the pressure felt most strongly on high streets. High street footfall fell -1.4% month-on-month and -3.3% year-on-year, marking the sharpest annual decline recorded since June 2019. Shopping centres also weakened, down -1.4% month-on-month and -0.5% year-on-year, while retail parks once again proved the most resilient, rising +0.6% month-on-month and +2.4% year-on-year. This suggests that purchases for BBQ and home essentials – such as gardening equipment, fans and air conditioning units – may well have driven much of the retail park activity in June. 

The split in performance across destinations indicates that consumers are still visiting, but their behaviour is increasingly shaped by purpose, timing and external conditions. Retail parks continued to benefit from convenience-led trips, particularly during the heatwave when shoppers stocked up on summer essentials. This is also reflected in MRI Software’s Insights from the Inside* data, where 62.6% of retailers reported a surge in summer product sales following the recent heatwave, reinforcing the link between extreme weather and more intentional spending. 

However, the same heatwave also had a clear downside for destination footfall. Mid-month, as temperatures climbed and parts of the UK experienced school closures and transport disruption, high streets saw a sharp drop in activity. On one of the hottest days of the month (24th June), high street visits fell -9.4% week-on-week and -12.5% year-on-year, as many consumers either stayed home or opted for cooler, more comfortable environments. Office-led locations in Central London were also impacted, with commuters and visitors likely avoiding hot and crowded transport routes. 

While hot weather can drive retail sales in specific categories, it may not always translate into broader destination footfall. In fact, June showed that when temperatures reach extreme levels, consumers were more selective about where, when and why they head out. 

At the same time, the World Cup has been one of the clearest positive footfall drivers of the month, particularly for high streets and the evening economy. Match days created notable spikes, with footfall building ahead of kick-off and continuing into the evening as fans gathered in pubs, bars, fan zones and community spaces. In the early part of the tournament, high street footfall rose +14.9% post 8pm on 17th June, while early morning celebrations following an England win for the same match saw high street visits surge +60.6% week-on-week and +28.7% year-on-year between midnight and 6am. 

This reinforces something we are seeing more consistently: major sporting events are no longer just hospitality moments, they are wider high street moments. They bring people into physical destinations, extend dwell time and create a sense of community that online retail simply cannot replicate. However, the impact is not evenly felt across the wider retail market. According to MRI Software’s Insights from the Inside*, only 20% of retail managers reported seeing an increase in sales linked to the World Cup, suggesting the commercial benefit is still being felt most strongly by hospitality and experience-led businesses. 

Music events also played their part throughout June, particularly in London, where major concerts and corporate events helped drive stronger weekly performance in the capital. At key points during the month, Central London outperformed in the final week of the month as visits rose +17.1% week on week, supported by a packed entertainment calendar spanning venues and parks across the capital. 

Looking ahead, the next few weeks will be critical. With World Cup fixtures and Wimbledon moving towards the later stages, there will be further opportunities to drive event-led footfall, particularly during evenings and weekends. But the bigger opportunity for retail leaders is using these moments more strategically. The data from June shows that footfall is becoming less consistent, but more predictable around key triggers. Weather, sport, live entertainment and community events all influence when people visit, how long they stay and which destinations they choose. Retailers that understand these patterns can make better decisions around staffing, opening hours, promotions and stock availability - not just for the rest of summer, but also as they start to plan for the Golden Quarter. 

Now is the time for retail leaders to grasp new patterns driven by shifts in consumer behaviour so short-term spikes can be transformed into longer-term engagement. 

“June tells us that consumers haven’t disappeared - they’ve become more selective, more event-led and more influenced by external factors. For retailers, that makes data more important than ever. The opportunity is not just to react when footfall rises, but to anticipate when those moments are coming and be ready with the right stock, staffing, opening hours and relevant incentives which may include free chilled water on arrival during hot periods, or discounts on iced drinks during a typically slow part of the day. That agility will matter even more as retailers move from a summer shaped by sport and weather into the Golden Quarter.”– Jenni Matthews, Retail Analyst at MRI Software. 

*A weekly survey of over 700 store managers which provides insights from the shop floor around how external factors and consumer behaviour are impacting both footfall and spending.

Source : MRI Software

Image : shutterstock / 1137631598 / William Barton 

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