High street footfall increased by 2.5 per cent, against a decline of 8.6 per cent in March 2018. This was above the three-month average growth of 0.2 per cent.
Retail park footfall increased by 1.5 per cent, while shopping centre figures fell by 1 percent.
“Retailers will be relieved to see footfall up from last year, though this was heavily influenced by the weather: while shoppers in 2018 were contending with the Beast from the East, this March has been mild by comparison,” says Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium. “Unfortunately, higher footfall has not translated to higher spending. The data also showed that shopping centres continue to suffer, with 24 consecutive months of decline in footfall. It is vital that all different shopping locations are fit for the future, offering the mix of retail and experience-led opportunities that generate the necessary footfall to succeed. Furthermore, the Government can support this transformation by reforming the outdated business system which holds back firms from investing in physical space.”
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