Footfall across UK retail destinations rose 11% last week, driven by increased activity in all three destination types thanks to some warmer weather and the announcement of the government’s roadmap to reopening the economy.
The increase in footfall on the High Street of 15.9% was more than double that recorded in either shopping centres or retail parks, at 6.0% and 5.9%, respectively, as footfall increased week-on-week on all but one day, with a very clear acceleration in activity on Friday and Saturday.
According to Springboard, the gap in footfall in retail destinations from 2020 narrowed to -56.5% from -62.1% the week before.
The rise in footfall was also more than 10% higher in all types of town centre, but the rises were greatest in regional cities outside London, coastal towns and historic towns.
However, Central London footfall also rose by 16.4%, although this uplift was from a significantly lower base than elsewhere in Britain.
Springboard’s Diane Wehrle said: “Footfall data is continuing to deliver ever clearer evidence of lockdown fatigue amongst consumers. Perhaps prompted by the announcement of the government’s roadmap to reopening at the beginning of the week, but then supported by drier warmer weather in the second half of the week, footfall in UK retail destinations rose once again last week from the week before.
“Not only was this the sixth consecutive week that footfall has increased, but its magnitude was greater than in any previous week and nearly twice that in the week before.”
