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The Welsh retail sector has reported a significant dip in footfall. Latest research from the Welsh Retail Consortium shows that footfall into stores on the high street, shopping centres and retail in March was down 8.3% on a year-on-year basis.

The decline on March last year was the third highest of the nations and regions of the º£½ÇÊÓƵ, behind Northern Ireland, down 9%, and the south west, down 9.8%. Scotland experienced a 6.6% fall and England 4.9%.

All parts of the º£½ÇÊÓƵ experienced year-on-year falls with the shallowest in London, down 1.2%. In March shopping centres in Wales experienced a 13.1% year-on-year fall, while for retail parks it was down 1.9%.

An analysis of the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s core cities shows that year-on-year footfall in Cardiff declined by 10.8%, which was only higher in Bristol with a fall of 12.5%. London experienced the lowest year-on-year decline in March, down 1.2%.

TOTAL FOOTFALL BY NATION AND REGION

GROWTH RANK	NATION AND REGION	Mar-25	Feb-25
1	London	-1.2%	1.8%
2	West Midlands	-4.1%	1.8%
3	North West England	-4.3%	1.9%
4	England	-4.9%	0.2%
5	East Midlands	-5.0%	-1.3%
6	North East England	-5.1%	-1.0%
7	East of England	-5.4%	-0.8%
8	South East England	-6.0%	0.4%
9	Scotland	-6.6%	-0.3%
10	Yorkshire and the Humber	-7.3%	-3.5%
11	Wales	-8.3%	2.7%
12	Northern Ireland	-9.0%	-0.1%
13	South West England	-9.8%	-1.4%

TOTAL FOOTFALL BY CITY

GROWTH RANK	CITY	Mar-25	Feb-25
1	London	-1.2%	1.8%
2	Birmingham	-2.1%	5.0%
3	Glasgow	-2.5%	-1.1%
4	Nottingham	-4.5%	-0.3%
5	Manchester	-4.6%	3.9%
6	Liverpool	-7.1%	-2.5%
7	Edinburgh	-9.0%	1.9%
8	Leeds	-10.1%	-5.6%
9	Belfast	-10.4%	0.1%
10	Cardiff	-10.8%	-1.8%
11	Bristol	-12.5%	-5.2%

Sara Jones, head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said:“Footfall nosedived in March, with 11% fewer shoppers visiting our retail destinations. The monthly figures place Wales as the worst performing º£½ÇÊÓƵ nation and the precarious position Welsh retailers face.

“Whilst a drop off in numbers might have been expected given the shift in holiday dates and a late Easter, this will fail to offer any comfort to Welsh businesses who are now facing an onslaught of higher costs from rises in wage costs, business rates, and national insurance policies from the start of April.”