Following a brief surge in September, the number of shoppers on º£½ÇÊÓƵ streets has once again declined in October, resuming its downward trajectory.
In October, total footfall across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ fell by 1.1 per cent year on year, a drop from the 3.3 per cent increase seen in September, as reported by .
Many within the struggling sector had hoped that the rise in September signalled the start of a more sustained increase in shopper numbers.
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, commented: "While this will be disappointing for many retailers... it perhaps shouldn't come as a surprise,".
Sumpter further added: "We expect to see a bumpy recovery as a myriad of market conditions from the cost of living to shaky consumer confidence around the Budget continue to make footfall performance volatile."
Ahead of the budget, consumer confidence took a hit as Britons fretted over potential hikes in their tax bills. As it stands, the only tax increase that will impact most Brits albeit indirectly is the 1.2 per cent rise in employer national insurance contributions (NICs).
However, depending on who ultimately bears the burden of the tax, it could leave retail employers short-changed.
MRI software recorded a similar dip in September, with their slightly milder figures indicating a 0.6 per cent year on year fall in all º£½ÇÊÓƵ retail destinations, driven by a 0.8 per cent decrease in high streets and 1.5 per cent in shopping centres. Conversely, retail parks saw footfall increase by 0.8 per cent.
Half-term move impacts footfall
The year-over-year º£½ÇÊÓƵ retail footfall statistics for October indicate a subtle downturn, which Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), attributed to the timing of school half-term holidays. Although the holidays this year straddled the end of October and start of November, in the previous year, they fell entirely within October's reporting period, influencing the comparative figures.
Dickinson also highlighted some optimistic trends, citing that "October's footfall figures showed a marginal decline compared to last year, primarily due to half-term moving out of the comparison."
Additionally, she remarked that "retail parks continued to attract shoppers, as they saw positive footfall growth for the third consecutive month, [and] across England, the northern towns performed best, with Leeds and Liverpool seeing positive footfall last month."
Furthermore, expectations for increased customer traffic are bolstered by forthcoming retail events, with Dickinson noting the approach of Black Friday and Christmas which typically usher in heightened shopping activity.
