Consumer footfall in the UK increased by 0.8% in June, compared to the same month last year – ahead of the three-month average of 0.5%, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
High-street footfall rose 0.9% year on year, and footfall in retail-park locations grew by 2.3%, following a 1.5% rise in the previous month. However, footfall in shopping centres experienced a decline of 0.8% in June.
Summer Shopping
"The arrival of summer spurred greater shopper footfall in the majority of retail destinations in June," said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC.
"High streets and retail parks saw solid growth in footfall, as shoppers headed out to renew their wardrobes and purchase other seasonal items. Most parts of the UK benefitted from these sun-fuelled shopping outings, with the east of England, especially, witnessing brisk growth."
However, Dickinson added that the growing concern over inflation on household income will make sustaining this growth in shopper footfall difficult for retailers.
Consumer Trends
"The rise in footfall, of 0.8% in June, is a result that tells a different story to the sales statistics we are seeing," said Diane Wehrle, marketing and insights director at Springboard, adding that the divergence from sales can be attributed to a number of factors.
"The weather was far better than in June last year, which encourages consumers to visit bricks-and-mortar destinations, particularly external environments such as high streets and retail parks," Wehrle said.
"Also, in recent months, we have seen rising footfall in the hours after 5pm, illustrating the trend in consumer behaviour towards leisure trips after retail trading hours, demonstrated by the rise in hospitality sales of 0.3%. In June, however, the better weather supported the increase in footfall during daytime hours."
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
