June data from Springboard and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has revealed a 0.9% year-on-year decline in overall summer retail footfall in shopping establishments across the UK, making it the longest period of continuous footfall decline since 2015.
In retail parks, this decline was just 0.4%, but in shopping centres, it was more significant, at 3.4%, averaging 3.1% since January. In contrast, high-street shops garnered more visits, with footfall rising marginally, by 0.1% – the second month of consecutive growth since November 2017.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the BRC, attributed the slight year-on-year improvement in footfall across the nation’s high streets to June’s good weather.
Consumer behaviour has been transformed, Dickinson added, with shoppers having more choices in terms of how, when and where they shop, putting pressure on retailers to invest in physical store experiences and online presences.
Consumer Appetite
The marketing and insight director at Springboard, Diane Wehrle, said that she believed that if shopping centres are to "turn the tide" on the continuing drop in footfall, understanding today’s consumer appetite for shopping destinations that deliver retail, leisure and hospitality, will help them to encourage footfall.
"Initiatives such as the government’s Great British High-Street Awards are increasingly important, as communities adapt and thrive during this period of retail transformation," Dickinson added.
"However, considerable pressure on retail remains, but policymakers can help by supporting our call for a two-year freeze in business rate increases, to provide some headroom while a reform of the business rates system is carried out," she said.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
