UK: Footfall up in January despite dreary weather

While the festive season proved disappointing for many retailers, January proved to be a more positive month in the way of footfall across the UK, as figures rose throughout the region. According to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic, for the five weeks to February 1, total UK footfall increased 6.6 percent year-on-year. This was up on a drop of 2.2 percent in December.

Retail parks drove the way, with footfall increasing 7.9 percent over the month after remaining flat in December. This was followed by shopping centres, for which footfall leaped from a drop of 3.3 percent in the month prior to 7.4 percent. High streets, meanwhile, welcomed a 4.5 percent uptick, up from minus 2.7 percent in December. All four nations also reported footfall upticks; Wales leading with 8.5 percent, followed by England at 7.4 percent, Northern Ireland at 3.5 percent and Scotland by 1 percent.

In the report, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “Shopper footfall received a welcome boost in January following a disappointing festive period. Store visits increased substantially in the first week of the month as many consumers hit the January sales in their local community, with shopping centres faring particularly well. Despite snowy weather and Storm Eowyn causing disruption in some areas, footfall was still positive across major UK cities over the whole month.”

In the coming months, the challenge highlighted in the report is for retailers to balance both enhanced footfall, which will require optimised staffing, with significant rises to labour costs from the Autumn Budget and a consumer desire for discounts.