Covering the week 15 – 21 June 2020
- UK Footfall decreased 57.2% year on year during the first week of reopening*. This was a slight improvement on the previous week at 76.2%.
- Footfall on High Streets declined by 61.0% year on year. This was an improvement on a decline of 74.0% the previous week. High streets were hit hard as pubs, restaurants and other hospitality remained closed.
- Retail Parks saw footfall decrease by 26.4% year on year. This was an improvement on a decline of 43.0% the previous week. Retail Parks continue to benefit from a higher proportion of supermarkets and ease of parking.
- Shopping Centre footfall declined by 63.5% year on year. This was an improvement on a decline of 80.7% the previous week.
- Footfall was strongest during the weekdays, with an average year on year decline of 52.7%, while the weekend showed weaker footfall with an average decline of 59.8%.
*First week of reopening is the 15 – 21 June 2020. The previous week measured runs 07 – 13 June 2020 (normal Sunday to Saturday week).
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief-Executive of British Retail Consortium, said: [DRAFT QUOTE]
“While many shops will welcome the increase in footfall as a result of shops opening, it is clear that the retail industry is not out of the woods. The initial burst of enthusiasm which saw footfall improve in the first few days after reopening quickly gave way to the lower demand which continues to threaten retailers up and down the country. Nonetheless, the UK’s rebound compared favourably to other European countries, suggesting that safety measures introduced by retailers have been well received by their customers.
“There is still a long way to go until consumers return to shopping destinations, particularly shopping centres, as they did before the pandemic. With many shops and jobs hanging in the balance, it is essential that the Government introduces measures to boost consumer demand in the economy.”
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant – EMEA of ShopperTrak, said:
“On England’s first full week of opening since lockdown, it was encouraging to see the public come out in support of traditional Bricks and Mortar retail, but there is still a long way to go. Monday and Friday performed the strongest, demonstrating as we’d indicated earlier that weekend shopping will take time to come back to full strength. Social distancing restrictions and a lack of “entertainment” and F&B, including coffee shops, will hurt traffic, particularly in destination shopping centres.
“What we’ve seen happening in Europe ahead of us shows that this recovery will take time, and we’d ask the public to continue to support the retail destinations they loved before.”
