Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Springboard has released forecasts that suggest retail footfall is set to bounce back in the run-up to Christmas.
The retail intelligence firm predicts an 8% uplift across the UK – subject to no adverse weather conditions – with retail parks set to outperform high streets and shopping centres.
Springboard said retail parks will benefit from the rising popularity of click and collect services, with an estimated 45% of all shoppers set to collect purchases made online in store this Christmas. Benefiting from free parking and the accessibility of out-of-town locations, the trend for shoppers to seek out retail parks in place of high streets and shopping centres witnessed so far this year is set to continue, the company claimed.
However, Springboard noted that high streets are set to score above shopping centres due to a more diverse offer including retail, leisure and hospitality, as shoppers are increasing placing emphasis on ‘experience’ when choosing where to do their Christmas shopping.
Springboard commented: “With shoppers invariably conscious that 2014 has been a tough year for retailers, many will be holding out for heavy discounting close to Christmas and so are likely to make the most of bargains to be had in the sales by shopping in-store and using click and collect services.”
This announcement comes after the retail intelligence company released footfall figures for October that showed a 0.8% drop year-on-year. Springboard said the statistic was due to the unseasonable warm weather and shoppers’ resistance to shop for winter. But this is a marginal improvement on September, which suffered a drop of 0.9%.
