Retail footfall tracks higher in April - BRC

Footfall jumped on UK high streets last month, industry data showed on Friday, despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and record inflation.

According to the latest BRC-Sensormatic IQ footfall monitor, total UK footfall dipped 1.5 percentage points on March in April but was 5.3% higher than April 2022.

Within that, footfall on high streets jumped 10.5% year-on-year, while shopping centres reported a 7.9% improvement. Retail parks saw a 6.9% decline.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Footfall [improved year-on-year] mainly in high streets and shopping centres, which were the most affected during the pandemic and still have the furthest to catch up.

"Retail is finding a new balance, as the rise in online shopping and spread of hybrid working has changed consumer shopping habits. As a result, while we expect footfall to continue to improve, it may never reach the levels seen prior to the pandemic."

Andy Sumpter, EMEA retail consultant at Sensormatic Solutions, said: "Footfall saw growth again in April, even if more modest than in the first quarter. This is despite a continuing cost of living crisis and inflation in most categories, not least food.

"As we became used to living with Covid, consumers have now lived with higher prices for over a year, meaning shopping habits are starting to stabilise. Stability brings predictability, and predictability brings retailers the confidence to plan.

"The outlook does remain tough, however, and double-digit growth was always going to fizzle out as the year went on and footfall trends began to normalise."