Shoppers continued to return to UK high streets in February despite extreme weather as workers went back to offices, industry figures showed.
Total UK retail footfall fell 14.9% from two years earlier – a 2.2% improvement on January and better than the three-month average decline of 17.2%, the British Retail Consortium said.
The month started well but store visits dipped as Storm Eunice battered the UK in the middle of the month. After the weather eased, footfall bounced back again, BRC said.
The result was better than other leading European economies such as Spain, down 16.4% from two years earlier, and Germany where footfall was almost 43% lower, the survey, compiled with Sensormatic, showed.
High streets led the improvement in the UK with a 4.8 percentage point improvement on January as workers returned to offices. Retail parks had a 2.8 point increase and business was 2.3 points better at shopping centres.
England had the best result as Covid restrictions were eased, followed by Northern Ireland and Wales with Scotland showing the steepest decline over two years.
Helen Dickinson, the BRC’s chief executive, said: “UK footfall led the major European economies in February, as the steady return to the office increased shopper numbers in many towns and city centres.
“However, challenges remain. Consumer confidence has been greatly impacted by rising inflation, while the return of hospitality and tourism will create additional competition.”
