A heatwave continued to impact shopper foot traffic in July, especially on the high street, according to recent data. Total UK footfall decreased by 2.1% compared to the previous year, showing an improvement from the 3.4% decline in June as reported by British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic data.
In July, high street footfall dropped by 3.8% year-on-year, showing an increase from June’s 6.2% decline. Shopping center footfall also decreased by 1.4% compared to the previous year, although it was an improvement from June’s 2.5% drop.
England had the weakest performance among UK nations, experiencing an overall footfall decline of 3%, with London down by 5.3%. Sensormatic highlighted the challenges faced by larger urban centers during extreme heat spells.
BRC’s chief executive, Helen Dickinson, stated that the heatwave continued to impact retail footfall in July, with high streets being the most affected. She noted that London faced significant challenges due to high temperatures, leading to reduced travel on public transport and more people staying at home.
Dickinson mentioned that despite the impact, July showed improvement compared to the previous month when footfall declined even more significantly. She emphasized the need for retailers to invest in mitigations such as air conditioning and sustainability initiatives to combat extreme temperatures.
Andy Sumpter from Sensormatic pointed out that six out of the first seven months of the year saw lower footfall compared to the same period last year. He attributed this trend to the exceptionally hot and dry weather discouraging shopping trips, especially affecting high streets.
While the UK has a new prime minister, the retail sector is still waiting for a significant improvement in consumer spending. Retailers are focusing on converting the reduced foot traffic into meaningful sales as the summer season progresses.