Footfall eases as soaring temperatures deter shoppers

UK retail footfall fell in June, industry research showed on Friday, as the heatwave kept shoppers at home.

According to the latest BRC-Sensormatic IQ Footfall Monitor, total UK footfall fell by 1.9% in the five weeks to 1 July, although that was an improvement on May’s 2.8% decline.

Within that, high street footfall edged up 0.6% year-on-year. But it fell 2.6% in retail parks and by 4.2% in shopping centres.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Footfall was down as the hot weather meant people opted to enjoy the outdoors."

Earlier this week, the Met Office confirmed that it had been the hottest June on record in Britain, as temperatures soared across the country.

Dickinson continued: "Shopping patterns are still finding a new balance, as the high cost of living is affecting people’s habits and choices. We saw fewer visits to shopping centres and retail parks, but high street locations were busier. Footfall in major cities also improved, thanks to an increase in international tourism."

Andy Sumpter, EMEA retail consultant for Sensormatic Solutions, said: "We saw the far-reaching ripple effect of April’s inflation peak taking hold this month, with the three-month rolling average for UK footfall in June dipping into negative figures (-1.1%) for the first time this year.

"The ongoing cost-of-living pressure is set to continue to impact shopper behaviour and undermine consumer confidence. However, with the tide of food price inflation looking like it is finally, and albeit slowly, starting to recede, retailers will be looking ahead to July and hoping to benefit from ambient footfall from the school holiday period."