UK retail footfall falls in July as summer fails to boost spending

UK retail footfall declined in July, but less sharply than in the previous month, as the summer failed to bring the boost that businesses had hoped for, according to the latest British Retail Consortium-Sensormatic data on Friday.

Total UK footfall decreased by 0.4% in July compared to the previous year, improving from the 1.8% fall seen in June.

High street visits fell by 1.7% while shopping centre footfall dropped by 0.3%. However, retail park activity increased by 1.7%, reversing a 1.1% slide last month.

The British Retail Consortium said there were bright spots, with improved numbers of store visits in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, while retail parks continued to outperform.

"The early-July heatwave, following a scorcher in June, may have lifted leisure footfall more than retail, while one year into a new Labour government, consumer sentiment remains cautious," said Sensormatic Retail Consultant Andy Sumpter.

"The underlying footfall trend may be improving, but this is still negative growth on negative 2024 figures - raising the question: are shoppers returning, or simply shopping around more as they try to spend less? Either way, retailers who can offer value, experience, and convenience may be best placed to convert tentative footfall into lasting growth."

Footfall in Wales saw a 0.4% increased compared to the previous year. Activity declined for all other nations, with a 0.3% drop in England, 1.3% in Scotland and the largest decrease of 3.0% in Northern Ireland.

BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson added: "Customers want a vibrant shopping destination, but with around one in seven shops lying empty, more needs to be done to turn town and city centres into places people want to visit. While government's plan to reduce business rates for most retail, hospitality and leisure premises is a step in the right direction, only a substantial cut will truly benefit communities nationwide and help bring thousands of empty shops back into use."