Retail tech experts MRI Software report a 7% week-on-week rise in UK retail footfall across all destinations, with a strong drive in shopping centres by 12%. Coastal towns led the increase as holidaymakers took advantage of the warm weather, though overall levels remained below the same week last year.
Regionally, the South West saw the strongest growth, followed by the East of England and North & Yorkshire – reflecting heightened activity in coastal and historic towns.
Jenni Matthews, Senior Brand, PR & Content Manager (EMEA) at MRI Software, commented: “The school half term holiday likely contributed to a boost in footfall across all UK retail destinations last week from the week before with shopping centres leading the charge. This was especially noticeable in smaller (under 100,000 sq ft) and larger centres (over 500,000 sq ft) and could reflect the array of retail, leisure and dining facilities all available under one roof making it an ideal choice for keeping friends and family entertained, as well as the warmer weather driving people to outdoor high street destinations.
“It was a relatively strong week for all UK retail destinations however shopping centres witnessed double digit increases week on week from Sunday to Thursday whereas high streets experienced a dip in activity on Monday and Tuesday but remained positive for the remainder of the week. Retail parks also experienced a good week with Monday being the strongest day.
“Coastal towns were the clear winners last week as many holidaymakers headed out of town to make the most of the break and warm weather however footfall levels remained much lower than the same week last year; a couple of factors could be at play here which include people either choosing to travel abroad for the week or opting for day trips closer to home. Historic towns also saw a significant lift week on week alongside regional cities outside of London. However, the impact of the school half term holiday was evident in office dense locations within the capital as footfall declined week on week reflecting fewer commuters during the holiday period.
“Regionally, the South West experienced the greatest double digit growth week on week followed by the East of England and North & Yorkshire aligning with trends seen in coastal and historic towns.
“Footfall rose by +7% week on week in all UK retail destinations last week driven by a +12% rise in shopping centres and followed by rises of +5.6% and +4.5% in high streets and retail parks, respectively. Smaller centres drove much of last week’s activity with footfall rising by +8.5% followed by larger centres (+8.4%). The week as a whole was especially strong for shopping centres overall with footfall rising by an average of +16% from Sunday to Thursday compared to the same period in the week before. High streets experienced a drop in activity averaging -6.4% on Monday and Tuesday which may be related to a turn in weather conditions however this was short lived as footfall rose by an average of +9.6% from Wednesday to Saturday.
“Coastal and historic towns benefitted from holidaymakers and day trips as footfall rose by +15.9% and +12.2%, respectively, compared to the week before. Regional cities outside of London also benefited from a +10.3% uplift however office dense locations within the capital saw a modest drop of -1.3%, week on week. The South West (+11.5%), East of England (+9.9%) and North & Yorkshire (+8.1%) also aligned with trends seen in coastal and historic towns indicating the onset of half term.
“While week on week trends provided a welcome boost for retail, leisure and dining establishments last week, annual levels remained marginally lower by -0.9%. This was particularly noticeable in retail parks (-1.2%) and high streets (-1.1%), however negligible in shopping centres (-0.3%). Looking ahead, all eyes will be on whether this wave of holiday-driven engagement can carry forward into June. With the summer season approaching and consumer habits shifting towards experience-rich destinations, retail destinations that offer more than just shopping are likely to remain front of mind for UK families.”
Week 22 – Mon-Sun
Jenni continued: “The school half term holiday likely contributed to a boost in footfall across all UK retail destinations last week from the week before with shopping centres leading the charge. This was especially noticeable in larger centres (over 500,000 sq ft) and could reflect the array of retail, leisure and dining facilities all available under one roof making it an ideal choice for keeping friends and family entertained.
“It was a relatively strong week for all UK retail destinations however shopping centres witnessed double digit increases week on week from Sunday to Thursday whereas high streets experienced a dip in activity on Monday and Tuesday but remained positive for the remainder of the week. Retail parks also experienced a good week with Monday being the strongest day.
“Coastal towns were the clear winners last week as many holidaymakers headed out of town to make the most of the break and warm weather however footfall levels remained much lower than the same week last year; a couple of factors could be at play here which include people either choosing to travel abroad for the week or opting for day trips closer to home. Historic towns also saw a significant lift week on week alongside regional cities outside of London. However, the impact of the school half term holiday was evident in office dense locations within the capital as footfall declined week on week reflecting fewer commuters during the holiday period.”
Regionally, the South West experienced the greatest double digit growth week on week followed by the South East and the East of England aligning with trends seen in coastal and historic towns.
Jenni added: “While week on week trends provided a welcome boost for retail, leisure and dining establishments last week, annual levels remained marginally lower. This was particularly noticeable in high streets however retail parks and shopping centres saw a marginal rise. Looking ahead, all eyes will be on whether this wave of holiday-driven engagement can carry forward into June. With the summer season approaching and consumer habits shifting towards experience-rich destinations, retail destinations that offer more than just shopping are likely to remain front of mind for UK families.”
