MRI Software: Week 30 Brings Welcome Uplift In Retail Footfall

New footfall data from retail tech experts MRI Software shows a welcome uplift in UK retail destinations, as the school summer holidays and payday weekend sparked increased shopping activity, particularly on high streets and in shopping centres.

Retail footfall rose across all UK locations compared to the previous week, with high streets enjoying a sharp surge midweek and again on Saturday, pointing to the pull of local events and day trips. Shopping centres led the charge, posting strong week-on-week gains, especially on Thursday and Friday as consumers made the most of payday.

Despite the weekly boost, overall retail footfall remains below 2023 levels, with high streets down -1.3% and retail parks -0.5% year on year.

Week 30 – SUN-SAT

Retail footfall in all UK retail destinations rose last week compared to the week before coinciding with the school summer holidays getting underway and paydays weekend as shopping centres led the charge.

It was a strong week for overall retail performance week on week led by double digit increases in high street activity on both days, likely suggesting local events in towns and cities attracting visitors and a rise in day trips. This was also reflected by a significant increase in footfall within regional cities outside of London, market, and historic towns. Shopping centres also saw strong trends throughout the week with peaks in activity recorded on Thursday and Friday aligning with payday weekend whereas retail parks saw steady increases in footfall daily except for Saturday.

As the school holidays get underway, annual levels remained lower in many towns and cities with coastal and historic towns seeing the sharpest drop which could indicate that international travel may well be taking priority this year. However, Central London was the only location to see a modest uplift year on year which could reflect the pull of live music events.

Footfall in high streets saw a sharp week on week rise on Tuesday (+10.3%) and Saturday (+14.6%) with modest rises interspersed throughout the week resulting in an overall uplift of +4.8% for the week. Shopping centres also saw strong performance with visitor activity rising by +5.5% bolstered by end of week increases averaging +7.3% on Thursday and Friday. Whereas retail parks saw modest rises daily with peaks recorded on Sunday (+5.6%) and Thursday (+3.3%) however a drop in activity on Saturday (-2.4%) resulted in the week’s overall result remaining only +1.4% higher compared to the week before.

Visitors to market (+6%) and historic towns (+7%), and regional cities outside of the capital (+7.7%) remained strong week on week suggesting a rise in day trips and local events, aligning with high street trends. However, annual levels dropped sharply in coastal and historic towns by -6.5% and -5.6% which could indicate an increase in holidays abroad this year. Visitor numbers to Central London remained strong both year on year (+1.7%) and week on week (+3.35), again, reflecting the attraction of live events in the capital.

Overall, while retail footfall rose week on week across all locations, annual comparisons remained mixed. High streets (-1.3%) and retail parks (-0.5%) continue to trail behind last year’s levels, suggesting that cost-of-living pressures, changing consumer habits, and increased international travel could be dampening domestic retail activity. However, shopping centres saw a marginal uplift of +0.4% highlighting the benefits of enclosed retail destinations and the broad mix of retail, leisure and dining options available to keep visitors of all ages entertained.

Week 30 – MON-SUN

Retail footfall in rose last week compared to the week before coinciding with the school summer holidays getting underway and payday as shopping centres led the charge.

It was a strong week for overall retail performance with Tuesday and Saturday seeing sharp increases in activity week on week led by double digit increases in high street activity on both days, likely suggesting local events in towns and cities and a rise in day trips attracting visitors. This was also reflected by a significant increase in footfall within regional cities outside of London, market, and historic towns. Shopping centres also saw strong trends throughout the week with peaks in activity recorded on Thursday and Friday aligning with payday weekend whereas retail parks saw steady increases in footfall daily except for Saturday.

As the school holidays get underway, annual levels remained lower in many towns and cities with coastal and historic towns seeing the sharpest drop which could indicate that international travel may well be taking priority this year. However, Central London was the only location to see a modest uplift year on year which could reflect the pull of live music events.

Overall, retail footfall remained lower in all UK retail destinations compared to last year.

Source : MRI Software

Image : shutterstock / 1137631598 / William Barton

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