Brits head back to the high street as roadmap out of lockdown boosts shopper numbers
The number of shoppers on the high street jumped last week, as Brits learned the details of the Prime Minister’s roadmap out of lockdown.
Non-essential retail, restuarants and pubs are, for now, still forced to stay closed, but the prospect of an end of lockdown restrictions boosted confidence and led to a nearly 16 per cent rise in footfall on UK high streets week-on-week.
Data from Springboard today showed footfall increased on all but one day last week, and accelered the most when the sun came out and temperatures rose on Friday and Saturday.
The rise in the number of shoppers at shopping centres was six per cent and at retail parks 5.9 per cent.
Central London, which has been particularly hit by the restriuctions to both retail and inbound tourism saw footfall rise 16.4 per cent week-on-week, although this uplift is from a much lower base than other cities and regional centres.
Compared to the same week last year, Central London shopper numbers were down more than 82 per cent.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard said: “Footfall data is continuing to deliver ever clearer evidence of lockdown fatigue amongst consumers.
“Perhaps prompted by the announcement of the government’s roadmap to reopening at the beginning of the week, but then supported by drier warmer weather in the second half of the week, footfall in UK retail destinations rose once again last week from the week before”.
However, there’s no mistaking how much emptier the UK’s shopping streets are as lockdown drags on.
Compared with the same week last year, footfall is down 62 per cent on the high street and up to 68 per cent in shopping centres as Brits heed the Government message to stay at home.