BRC: Footfall in June was 0.8% up on a year ago

• Footfall in June was 0.8 per cent up on a year ago. leaving it ahead of the three month average of 0.5 per cent.
• On a three-month basis, footfall grew 0.5 per cent, a slight reduction against past two months of 0.7 per cent
• High Street footfall rose 0.9 per cent in June on the previous year’s rate of -3.7 per cent. This is 5 basis points above the three month average of 0.4 per cent.
• Footfall in Retail Park locations grew by 2.3 per cent in June, compared to a 1.0 per cent decrease in June 2016. This comes after a 1.5 per cent rise in May, and is below the three-month average of 2.2 per cent.
• Footfall in Shopping Centres fell by 0.8 per cent in June on the -2.3 per cent rate in June 2016. This is marginally above the three-month average of -0.9 per cent.

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief-Executive | British Retail Consortium

The arrival of summer spurred greater shopper footfall in the majority of retail destinations in June. High streets and retail parks saw solid growth in footfall, as shoppers headed out to renew their wardrobes and purchase other seasonal items. Most parts of the UK benefitted from these sun fuelled shopping outings, with the East of England especially witnessing brisk growth.

Amidst economic uncertainty and mounting concern over the inflationary squeeze on household incomes, sustaining growth in shopper footfall will be challenging, more so as retailers seek to convert that into an improved performance at tills. And while they step up their efforts to keep prices down for their customers against rising input prices and inflation, the Government can help alleviate the cost pressures in the immediate term by sticking to their commitment on business rates reform to deliver a system fit for purpose in the 21st century.

Diane Wehrle, Springboard Marketing and Insights Director

The rise in footfall of +0.8% in June is a result that tells a different story to the sales statistics we are seeing, with the Springboard Sales Tracker recording drops in sales in department stores of -1.6% and of -2.3% in fashion stores.  However, sales do present a very varied picture, dependent on the breadth of the measure used and inflationary pressures which push sales values up.

The uplift in footfall in June, compared with the -1% drop in May, and its divergence from sales, can be attributed to a number of factors. The weather was far better than in June last year, which encourages consumers to visit bricks and mortar destinations, particularly external environments such as high streets and retail parks. Also in recent months, we have seen rising footfall in the hours after 5pm, illustrating the trend in consumer behaviour towards leisure trips after retail trading hours, demonstrated by the rise in hospitality sales of +0.3% in June.  In June, however, the better weather supported the increase in footfall during daytime hours. Indeed, the cumulative impact of both these factors accounts for the weaker footfall performance in shopping centres compared with high streets and retail parks.

Contact:
BRC Press Office
TELEPHONE: + 44 (0) 20 7854 8924
EMAIL: media@brc.org.uk
OUT OF HOURS: +44 (0) 7557 747 269

Source: BRC