July failed to bring about the summer boost in shoppers many retailers had hoped for. Instead, footfall dipped in July for the second consecutive year, says new British Retail Consortium (BRC) data.
According to the latest BRC-Sensormatic data, Total UK footfall decreased by 0.4% in July (YoY), up from -1.8% in June.
High Street footfall decreased by 1.7% in July (YoY), up from -3.0% in June. Retail Park footfall increased by 1.7% in July (YoY), up from -1.1% in June. Shopping Centre footfall decreased by 0.3% in July (YoY), up from -1.6% in June.
Footfall in Wales saw a 0.4% increase compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, footfall declined YoY for all other nations: down 0.3% in England, 1.3% in Scotland, and the largest decrease of 3.0% in Northern Ireland.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “There were bright spots, with Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds all showing an improvement in numbers of store visits. Retail parks continued to outperform other destinations with some seeing big brands opening new outlets.
“Customers want a vibrant shopping destination, but with around one in seven shops lying empty, more needs to be done to turn town and city centres into places people want to visit. While government’s plan to reduce business rates for most Retail, Hospitality and Leisure premises is a step in the right direction, only a substantial cut will truly benefit communities nationwide and help bring thousands of empty shops back into use. Many smaller shops and businesses rely on larger anchor stores to attract footfall so the upcoming reforms must also ensure no store pays more, or risk seeing many larger stores close their doors or raise their prices.”
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, commented: “England’s Lionesses might have won the Women’s Euros in July, but footfall has not yet come home it seems. Total retail for the UK remains stubbornly negative at -0.4%. Retail parks were positive yet again, at +1.7%, perhaps yielding the benefits of greater occupancy and continued new openings. High Streets and Shopping Centres saw softer declines than last month of -1.7% and -0.3% respectively. Other events such as the Oasis tour have given local uplifts in traffic, only for it to slide away shortly after.
“The early-July heatwave, following a scorcher in June, may have lifted leisure footfall more than retail, while one year into a new Labour government, consumer sentiment remains cautious. The underlying footfall trend may be improving, but this is still negative growth on negative 2024 figures – raising the question: are shoppers returning, or simply shopping around more as they try to spend less? Either way, retailers who can offer value, experience, and convenience may be best placed to convert tentative footfall into lasting growth.”
In other data for Northern Ireland, according to the NIRC-Sensormatic monitor, footfall decreased by 3.0% in July (YoY), up from -5.2% in June.
Shopping Centre footfall decreased by 4.1% in July (YoY), up from -6.0% in June. In July, footfall in Belfast decreased by 2.9% (YoY), up from -5.3% in June.
Neil Johnston, Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, said: “July was better than June for visits to stores but that is of little comfort as July was still disappointing. The number of shoppers out and about and going into stores in July in Northern Ireland was 3% down on last year.
“The figures across England, Scotland and Wales are far from encouraging either, however, the Northern Ireland situation is the least upbeat. Belfast was the best performing retail destination but failed to buck the trend with numbers down 2.9% compared to last year.
“Shoppers and retailers are currently experiencing economic challenges. Retailers face increased statutory costs emanating from the last UK Budget, while consumers appear to be reducing shopping activity in response to negative economic news.
“The role of Stormont remains vital in all of this, and it is imperative that the Executive considers how it turns talk about economic regeneration of our High Streets and other retail hubs into reality in the coming months.”
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, commented: “Total retail footfall for Northern Ireland continues to be negative at -3.0%, behind the rest of the UK, also stubbornly negative at -0.4%.
“The early-July heatwave, following a scorcher in June, may have lifted leisure footfall more than retail, while one year into a new Labour government, consumer sentiment remains cautious. The underlying footfall trend may be improving, but this is still negative growth on negative 2024 figures – raising the question: are shoppers returning, or simply shopping around more as they try to spend less? Either way, retailers who can offer value, experience, and convenience may be best placed to convert tentative footfall into lasting growth.”
