Footfall Springboard report

Footfall across UK retail destinations last week was clearly adversely impacted by the rail strikes; footfall declined in all three key destination types, but most severely in high streets where the drop in footfall was nearly three times as great as in shopping centres and more than five times as great as in retail parks.

The results deliver clear evidence of the importance of the working population to towns and cities. On Monday – the day before the rail strikes – footfall rose across all retail destination types but by more in high streets than in shopping centres or retail parks.  However, from Tuesday to Friday the drop in footfall in high streets was more than three times as great as in shopping centres, with a far greater drop in activity in Central London and in city centres around the UK where the reliance on train travel is higher.

On Saturday, the final day of the rail strike last week, footfall rose in high streets whilst declining in shopping centres and retail parks, undoubtedly supported by the warm and sunny weather. However, consumers clearly stayed local as this uplift was driven by rises in activity in market towns, Outer London and coastal and historic towns, whilst in Central London and city centres around the UK – which depend far more heavily on public transport – footfall declined.