Shopper footfall went from bad to worse in January, dropping by more than three quarters - with England the hardest, according to a new report.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has released its ShopperTrak Footfall Monitor for January 2021.
Key findings include:
- With the UK in lockdown, year on year UK Footfall decreased by 76.9% in January, a 30.8 % point worsening from December. This is the largest drop in the UK footfall since May 2020 (-81.6%).
- Footfall on High Streets declined by 73.3% year on year, the deepest decline since May 2020 (-77.8%). This is worse than both the 3- and 12-month average declines of 59.8% and 51.3%, respectively.
- Retail Parks saw footfall decrease by 40.9% year on year, the deepest decline since May 2020 (-55.0%). This is worse than both the 3- and 12-month average declines of 26.9% and 26.3%, respectively.
- Shopping Centre footfall declined by 78.2% year on year, the deepest decline since May 2020 (-84.9%). This is below the 3- and 12-month average declines of 59.9% and 52.6%, respectively.
Helen Dickinson OBE, BRC Chief Executive, said: “Footfall went from bad to worse in January, dropping by over three quarters. So far, retail locations in England are being hit harder than in the previous lockdown. Under tight restrictions for the whole month, shopping centres saw the biggest decline in footfall of all retail locations, overtaking high streets for the first time since July 2020.
“The drop in footfall clearly shows the public heeding Government advice to stay home where possible. Retailers have also been playing their part, stepping up safety measures wherever possible in order to keep staff and customers safe. Nonetheless, the future uncertainty for closed retailers puts many jobs and stores at risk. In the face of rising rents and return to full business rates liability from April, businesses are having to make business decisions about their future.
"The Government must reassure those hardest hit by the pandemic that they will receive vital financial support. Without urgent action, including a targeted extension to business rates relief, we will continue to see the collapse of more stores and consequent loss of many more thousands of jobs.”
Additional Guidance and Resources
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