'Plan B' is 'hammer blow' to retail footfall - Springboard
The government's renewed Covid-19 restrictions are a "hammer blow" to retail footfall that will halve visits to London stores compared with pre-pandemic levels, retail consultant Springboard predicted.
On Wednesday evening Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the adoption of "plan B" measures to limit infections of the Omicron variant. These included working from home where possible from Monday and more wearing of masks in public.
The result will be a sharp drop in visits to UK shops during the retail sector's busiest period, according to Springboard.
Central London footfall, currently 19% lower than 2019, will plunge to 50% less than pre-pandemic levels, Springboard estimated. In cities outside London footfall will drop to 30% less than 2019 and outer London activity will be 15% lower. Market towns will be 19% less busy, Springboard said.
Retail parks are likely to gain from the changes with activity strengthening to 2% less than 2019 compared with 4% now as city centre business declines, Springboard said. Home working will be the biggest factor as people stay away from inner cities and shop locally or at out of town locations, Springboard said.
Diane Wehrle, Sprinboard's insights director, said: “From our knowledge of previous periods of Covid restrictions we know that enforced home working and increased nervousness around Covid mean a proportion of this footfall will be diverted. This clearly represents yet another hammer blow to an industry that is still trying to recover from a huge loss of trade in 2020."
Retailers have been dreading the reintroduction of Covid-19 restrictions in the run-up to Christmas with the spread of the Omicron strain. John Timpson, chairman of the Timpson shoe repair chain, told the BBC that business began softening in late November when reports of a new version of the virus emerged.
Springboard predicted a jump in online non-food spending to 29% from 22% now as shoppers once again turn to the internet to avoid busy stores.