Footfall Declines Sharply in April, Worrying Signs for Independent Retailers

Bira has said the low footfall for April shows worrying signs for the high street. 

The BRC-ShopperTrak Footfall Monitor report for April 2024 showed that footfall had decreased over the month.

Key findings from the BRC footfall monitor include:

• Total UK footfall decreased by 7.2% in April (YoY), down from -1.3% in March.
• High Street footfall decreased by 6.9% in April (YoY), down from -1.5% in March.
• Retail Park footfall decreased by 6.2% in April (YoY), down from -3.5% in March.
• Shopping Centre footfall decreased by 7.2% in April (YoY), down from 0.3% in March.

Bira expressed concerns about the drop in footfall and its potential impact on smaller retailers.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira said: "The timing of Easter last year (April vs March this year) distorts the figures, but there are still some very worrying signs for the independent retailer. Consumer confidence is still low and fragile and we need economic growth to bring people back to the high streets. We also need the newly elected councillors and mayors to ensure that high streets are safe, attractive and accessible to everyone if we are to reverse the decline in footfall."

Helen Dickinson OBE, BRC Chief Executive, said: "While UK footfall was impacted by poor weather last month, this was artificially exacerbated by the comparison with 2023, when Easter was in April. All locations saw declines on the previous month, and nearly all major cities performed similarly poorly. However, there was good news in Edinburgh, where footfall was positive once again owing to the investment in local shopping locations in the Scottish capital over the past few years.

"It is now vital that elected councillors, mayors and Police and Crime Commissioners all play their part in designing the right planning, transport and neighbourhood safety policies to create thriving shopping destinations in communities across the country. These actions, locally and nationally, can contribute to boosting footfall and revitalising retail centres,” she added.