MRI Software: Retail Footfall Fell Sharply Last Week

MRI Software has published retail footfall data for last week, noting a sharp decline following half term.

Jenni Matthews, Senior Brand, PR & Content Manager (EMEA) at MRI Software, said:

Week 23 – SUN-SAT

Retail footfall declined last week from the week which was to be expected following a strong half term for all UK retail destinations and could be a sign of footfall stabilising rather than a cause for concern. This is the sharpest week on week decline experienced since the week that followed the Easter period. 

As routines resumed and weather conditions became less favourable, activity levels dropped across all UK retail destinations. Footfall declined each day last week except for Monday where there was a marginal uplift driven by a strong rebound in high street activity. However, footfall from Wednesday to Friday averaged double digit declines driven by a steep drop in visitors to shopping centres. The sharpest declines were seen in leisure led destinations and regional hubs, suggesting a clear shift from seasonal spikes to stabilising footfall. 

Coastal and historic towns saw the greatest week on week drop in footfall suggesting people had returned to work and school. This was also replicated in regional cities outside of London and office dense locations within Central London. Trends also remained marginally lower compared to 2024 in these locations. 

Overall, footfall in UK retail destinations weakened last week compared to the week before by -8%. This was especially noticeable in shopping centres (-10.4%) with high streets following closely behind (-9%). Retail parks also witnessed a decline in activity however it was a third of that seen in shopping centres at -3.5%. 

The week revealed declines in visitor activity each day compared to the week prior in all UK retail destinations apart from on Monday where activity rose marginally by 0.7%. This was driven by a bounce back in high street footfall where levels rose by +8.5%. Wednesday to Friday saw footfall decline by an average of -12% as a result of shopping centre falling by -14.9% during the same period. 

All town types saw a decline in footfall last week from the week before however this was particularly pronounced in coastal (-13%) and historic (-16%) towns; a trend that was also familiar in regional cities outside of London (-13%) and MRI Software’s Central London Back to Office benchmark (-5.1%). 

Despite strong week on week declines in retail footfall, annual trends remained optimistic in retail parks (+1.8%) and shopping centres (+0.3%) whereas high streets continued to see footfall decline for the second consecutive week by -5.3% which could reflect the change in weather conditions and a shift in commuter patterns. This post-holiday lull, both week on week and year on year, which follows a similar pattern seen after Easter, should prompt retail leaders, especially in discretionary spend categories, to view this as an opportunity to plan around predictable trading cycles and adjust operations accordingly. 

Week 23 – MON-SUN

Retail footfall declined last week from the week which was to be expected following a strong half term for all UK retail destinations and could be a sign of footfall stabilising rather than a cause for concern. This is the sharpest week on week decline experienced since the week that followed the Easter period. 

As routines resumed and weather conditions became less favourable, activity levels dropped across all UK retail destinations. Footfall declined each day last week except for Monday where there was a marginal uplift driven by a strong rebound in high street activity. However, footfall from Wednesday to Friday averaged double digit declines driven by a steep drop in visitors to shopping centres. The sharpest declines were seen in leisure led destinations and regional hubs, suggesting a clear shift from seasonal spikes to stabilising footfall. 

Coastal and historic towns saw the greatest week on week drop in footfall suggesting people had returned to work and school. This was also replicated in regional cities outside of London and office dense locations within Central London. Trends also remained marginally lower compared to 2024 in these locations. 

Despite strong week on week declines in retail footfall, annual trends remained optimistic in retail parks and fell only marginally in shopping centres whereas high streets continued to see footfall decline for the second consecutive week which could reflect the change in weather conditions and a shift in commuter patterns. This post-holiday lull, both week on week and year on year, which follows a similar pattern seen after Easter, should prompt retail leaders, especially in discretionary spend categories, to view this as an opportunity to plan around predictable trading cycles and adjust operations accordingly.

Source : MRI Software

For all the very latest news and intelligence on the UK's largest home improvement and garden retailers, sign up for the Insight DIY weekly newsletter.