UK DIY News
Ipsos: Bank Holiday And April Footfall
The latest footfall data from Ipsos shows that across the UK, May Day footfall was almost back to the same level recorded on the pre-pandemic early May Bank Holiday in 2019.
Despite rising prices and rock bottom economic optimism, many headed to the shops for some retail therapy with the clothing and jewellery categories most successful.
Name | % change v 2019 | % change v 2021 | WoW % change |
UK | 0.4% | 83.7% | 45.4% |
Cities | 1.6% | 101.5% | 50.3% |
Towns | -0.7% | 92.2% | 43.4% |
High Street | -1.3% | 109.4% | 36.1% |
Retail Park | 3.6% | 86.3% | 66.3% |
Shopping Centre | -3.2% | 75.4% | 38.7% |
Northern England | 2.5% | 87.0% | 34.3% |
Scotland & N.Ireland | 0.9% | 111.3% | 48.8% |
Midlands | -2.2% | 94.4% | 41.8% |
South West England & Wales | 2.0% | 76.5% | 40.0% |
London & South East | -3.2% | 85.2% | 53.2% |
Explaining the findings, Olivier Hillier, senior analyst at Ipsos Retail said:
"With fears over inflation rising, concerns around the surge in cost of living could impact footfall levels. While some experts are predicting that households will start to reduce their spending, the trends we are seeing on the high street suggest that consumers are shopping for the holidays and weddings that have been postponed during the pandemic. People are looking to make the most of their freedom this Spring and Summer, with fashion, occasion wear and holiday spending high on the list of priorities."
For the week commencing Monday 25 April to Sunday 1 May, Ipsos revealed that:
- Across the UK, footfall fell by -11.5% compared to 2019 in the Non-Food sector.
- Towns outperformed cities by 6.1% points.
- The best performing region was Northern England where store visits were down by -12.7%.
Name | Week commencing | % change v 2019 | WoW % change |
UK | 25/04/22 | -11.5% | -2.4% |
Cities | 25/04/22 | -13.9% | 1.6% |
Towns | 25/04/22 | -7.8% | -4.4% |
High Street | 25/04/22 | -16.0% | -5.4% |
Retail Park | 25/04/22 | -6.5% | -5.6% |
Shopping Centre | 25/04/22 | -14.2% | -1.5% |
Northern England | 25/04/22 | -12.7% | -6.5% |
Scotland & N.Ireland | 25/04/22 | -16.0% | -3.4% |
Midlands | 25/04/22 | -13.1% | -4.9% |
South West England & Wales | 25/04/22 | -14.6% | -5.6% |
London & South East | 25/04/22 | -14.1% | -2.5% |
Source : Ipsos
I find the news and articles they publish really useful and enjoy reading their views and commentary on the industry. It's the only source of quality, reliable information on our major customers and it's used regularly by myself and my team.
Don't miss out on all the latest, breaking news from the DIY industry
