Record-breaking sunshine and warmer temperatures failed to deliver a significant boost to UK retail footfall in May, with shopper numbers remaining below last year’s levels despite a marked improvement on April’s performance.
According to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic Solutions, total UK footfall fell by 2.6% year-on-year during the four weeks from 3-30 May, an improvement on April’s 10.7% decline.
High Streets proved the most resilient retail destination, with footfall down just 1.5%, while Retail Parks recorded a 0.5% decline and Shopping Centres saw visits fall by 2.4%.
Scotland was the only nation to record growth, with footfall increasing by 0.4%, while England (-3.0%), Northern Ireland (-1.0%) and Wales (-5.0%) all experienced declines. Wales saw the sharpest drop in shopper numbers.
UK FOOTFALL BY LOCATION (% CHANGE YOY)
Among major cities, Edinburgh led the way with a 2.5% increase in footfall, followed by Belfast (0.1%), while London remained flat year-on-year. Liverpool experienced the largest decline, with footfall down 9.4%.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “While total UK footfall remained down on last year, it was a significant improvement on April’s double-digit drop.
“While the warmer weather initially encouraged more people to the shops, the record-breaking temperatures at the end of the month resulted in a sharp decline in footfall, particularly at Shopping Centres and Retail Parks. Only High Streets bucked the trend, as those who were out and about took the opportunity to pop into their local stores.”
Ms Dickinson added that ongoing concerns around inflation and geopolitical uncertainty continue to impact consumer confidence and spending behaviour.
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA at Sensormatic Solutions, said May’s figures suggest shoppers are becoming more selective rather than abandoning physical retail altogether.
“May showed a modest improvement on April’s bleak performance, but retail footfall remains under pressure,” he said.
“Consumer confidence may be edging up slightly, but it remains fragile, with geopolitical uncertainty continuing to weigh on discretionary spend.
“While visits to retailers within Shopping Centres fell, overall visits to Shopping Centres actually rose, suggesting consumers are still visiting destinations, but making fewer, more considered purchases.”
MONTHLY TOTAL UK RETAIL FOOTFALL (% CHANGE YOY)
Mr Sumpter added that retailers now face the challenge of converting these increasingly deliberate shopping trips into sales through a combination of value, relevance and customer experience.
The latest figures suggest that while footfall trends improved during May, retailers continue to face a cautious consumer environment as the industry heads into the key summer trading period.
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