Tag Archives: Footfall

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

London, 2017-Jul-17 — /EPR Retail News/ —

BRC – SPRINGBOARD FOOTFALL AND VACANCIES JUNE 2017

Covering the four weeks 28 May – 1 July 2017

  • 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

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BRC-SPRINGBOARD MARCH 2017: Footfall up 1.3% on the previous year, the fastest growth since March 2014

London, 2017-Apr-18 — /EPR Retail News/ —

BRC- SPRINGBOARD FOOTFALL AND VACANCIES MONITOR – MARCH 2017
Covering the five weeks 26 February – 1 April 2017

  • Footfall in March grew 1.3% on the previous year, the fastest growth since March 2014. This is well above the three-month average of -0.2%. Note there is an impact on this number due to a calendar distortion – March 2016 included Easter Sunday, when shops were shut, whereas this year did not, adding one more shopping day, and therefore one more day’s footfall, to the period.
  • There was footfall growth in all three retail destinations in March. High street: 1.7%, Retail Parks: 1.4%, Shopping Centres: 0.2%. This month saw the fastest high street growth since March 2014.
  • 7 out of the 10 nations/regions we report on saw a rise in footfall in March
  • The steepest footfall decline occurred in Northern Ireland, where footfall fell by 3.7%. This was followed by the South West, where footfall fell by 2.3%

HELEN DICKINSON OBE, CHIEF-EXECUTIVE | BRITISH RETAIL CONSORTIUM

“Shopper visits increased to all retail destinations in March, resulting in the fastest annual growth in footfall for three years. This is partly owed to the exclusion of Easter Sunday from the period, which therefore benefits from an additional shopping day. But even looking beyond the distortion, the positive growth across most of the country is a reassuring sign for retailers.

“The high street continues to outperform shopping centres and retail parks, for the second consecutive month. Disappointingly though, this didn’t translate into retail sales, which were down in March on the previous year. Now that the Easter holidays have arrived, the challenge for retailers will be to attract this greater number of high street visitors into their stores.”

DIANE WEHRLE, MARKETING AND INSIGHTS DIRECTOR | SPRINGBOARD

“March definitely provided a break in the clouds, with the +1.3% rise in footfall breaking a six-month consecutive decline and the +0.2% increase in footfall in shopping centres being the first since January 2016. Whilst some of the +1.3% may have been a consequence of the loss of a trading day last year due to an early Easter, the impact of this shift should not be overstated as it will have been mitigated by increased trade on the other days over the Easter trading period.

“Indeed, if anything it is more evidence of the continuing structural shift in the use of retail destinations for leisure and hospitality trips. Virtually all of the increase in footfall in March was derived from the post 5pm period while footfall during the trading hours of 9 am to 5 pm dropped –by just -0.5% in high streets, but much more significantly, by -7.1%, in shopping centres. Indeed, the worsening of consumer confidence and inflation from last year is likely to be constraining shoppers’ willingness to spend on retail goods. This all lends further evidence to the fact that retail is no longer the sole driver of footfall, with a strong leisure/hospitality offer being a critical element to secure retail success.”

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

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Fashion needs customers – customers want to be impressed

MUNICH, Germany, 2017-Mar-13 — /EPR Retail News/ — To survive in the fiercely competitive fashion market, retailers must be able to impress their customers. Customer loyalty has evolved along with technological advancements, products and their prices can be compared at any time, and only businesses who stand out will be able to secure sales and retain their customers.

However, modern technologies have not only shaped what’s now being demanded of fashion companies, but, when implemented properly, can strengthen customer relations. attune provides retailers with the technological foundation and real-time insights to facilitate a personalised and seamless shopping experience across all channels.

Nowadays, being able to differentiate between different types of shoppers is no longer enough. To engage with modern shoppers, data such as shopping history, location, behavioural patterns and style must be collected and leveraged at every possible touchpoint.

“The right offer or promotion at the right time will not only generate more sales, but will also help retain customers,” says Gerald Reiser, Regional Director, Europe of attune.

attune knows how to motivate customers to buy: “Upsell by offering a matching bag to go with the jacket that was recently purchased. Weeks before a sale, bargain hunters are sent a discount voucher for 20-30% off certain products, allowing for a higher margin before the markdowns begin. Customers who live further away receive offers to shop online. And vice versa, targeted promotions drive local customers to the store, increasing footfall and allowing shop assistants to make the sale.”

A prerequisite for a successful customer retention strategy is an efficient, integrated IT infrastructure that delivers real-time data, enabling fashion retailers to engage with each customer individually and increase their purchase frequency.

attune’s integrated solution offering to strengthen customer loyalty:

> SAP Fashion Management
> SAP Customer Activity Repository
> SAP Hybris Commerce

Get in touch at bahtiyar.can@attuneconsulting.com or visit www.attuneconsulting.com to schedule a demo of an integrated landscape consisting of the above solutions.

 

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BRC/SPRINGBOARD FOOTFALL MONITOR DECEMBER 2014: Footfall in December 0.7% down on a year ago

LONDON, 2015-1-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Footfall in December was 0.7% down on a year ago, up on the 2.4% fall in November and below the three-month average of a 1.3% decline. Out-of-Town reported the only rise, 1.3% higher than a year ago and has experienced positive footfall growth for every month in 2014. Footfall in shopping centres was 0.1% down on the previous year for December. This is be lowest fall in footfall since Jan-14. All regions and countries with the exception of South East (3.4%), East (2.2%), Scotland (1.6%) and Northern Ireland (1.4%) reported declining footfall.

BRC Director General, Helen Dickinson, said: “A decline of 1.8 per cent in the number of high street shoppers might not at first glance look like great news for retailers but it’s heartening to see the pace of decline in High Street footfall slowing so dramatically from November to December. This is undoubtedly a result of the continuing changes in the way we all prefer to shop. It’s worth noting that fewer shoppers doesn’t necessarily equal poorer sales – in fact, we know that sales have been strong across the Christmas period. This tells us that retailers are getting to grips with the way people’s shopping habits are changing and using methods like click-and-collect to drive internet traffic toward physical stores while, at the same time, targeting discounts to encourage higher sales. What we are seeing currently is the online and physical retailing finding out how they best fit together in the new multi-channel world.”

Diane Wehrle, Retail Insights Director at Springboard, said: “Footfall across the UK in December belied the prevailing furore over the impact on bricks and mortar stores of both Black Friday and the move to online shopping, with just a modest drop of 0.7 per cent from December 2013. Retail Parks finished the year as they began with an increase in footfall, albeit that the increase in footfall in out of town locations has been on a downward trajectory since the largest rise of 5.7 per cent was recorded in January. The most positive result, however, is that footfall in both high streets and shopping centres is in an improved position compared with both November and with December last year. Indeed, the drop in high street footfall of 1.8 per cent is half the decline recorded in December 2013, and the 0.1 per cent drop in shopping centres is both a significant improvement on the 1.5 per cent recorded in December last year and the most modest decrease of any month this year.

“Whilst online shopping becomes ever more mature, and shoppers are increasingly demanding in terms of choice and flexibility to buy, the improved footfall position of our retail destinations in what is our peak trading period of the year indicates that online is driving activity back into bricks and mortar stores. As yet it is inconclusive as to the relative influence of showrooming and click and collect in the omni-channel experience, but what is clear is that if retailers want shoppers to continue to visit their stores then ever more investment is required to deliver the heightened shopping experience that is now demanded.”

British Retail Consortium, 21 Dartmouth Street, Westminster, London, SW1H 9BP.
020 7854 8900. info@brc.org.uk.