Shoppers have been avoiding high streets in recent days following riots which have taken place across England and Belfast. Shops have been vandalised and loots, but it has also impacted the footfall with a 4.8% decline between Sunday (August 4) and Wednesday (August 7) – according to MRI Software.
This compares with a smaller fall of 2.7% in all UK retail destinations, including shopping centres and out-of-town retail parks.
On Wednesday, the number of people on high streets dropped by 7.5% as shoppers were deterred by an expected new wave of rioting and counter-protests planned for the day.
Northern England and Yorkshire felt the impact of the disorder the most, with footfall down by 12.9% between Sunday and Wednesday, and in the West Midlands footfall was down by 10.6% on the previous week.
Helen Dickinson, the British Retail Consortium’s Chief Executive, said: “Many retail workers have been heading to work fearing their stores and their safety could be compromised by the looting and vandalism that has taken grip in various parts of the country.” She called for the “full force of the law” to be brought to bear on those committing criminal damage and theft against retailers.
At this time of the year, the number of people visiting the UK’s towns and cities would usually rise as the school summer holidays get under way and families take day trips. However, footfall remains significantly lower both week on week and year on year.
