Retailers call for ‘lifeline’ from Healey as cooler weather fails to boost footfall
Britain’s retailers have called for a “lifeline” from the Chancellor John Healey after footfall fell again in August despite cooler temperatures.
Total footfall in the UK fell by 1.7 per cent year on year last month, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Though shopping traffic fell at a slower rate than July’s 2.2 per cent yearly drop, the trade body said these figures are a reminder that the Treasury must deliver tax breaks to high street businesses at next month’s Budget.
High streets suffered the sharpest fall as footfall slumped by 3.1 per cent year on year. Footfall increased in retail parks, where shoppers made one per cent more visits than the same time last year.
London was the English region where retail footfall suffered the most in August, falling by 4.9 per cent, compared to a gain of 1.9 per cent in the east of the country.
Andy Sumpter, head of analytics at EMEA for Sensormatic, which produces the BRC’s data, said that August’s slight improvement in footfall was likely due to cooling temperatures.
July’s sweltering temperatures had driven Brits away from in-person shopping and delivered a boost to e-commerce platforms.
Sumpter said that August’s slightly rosier footfall figures are likely to ease the huge pressures facing retailers, which include higher business rates bills and soaring employment costs.
“The challenge for retailers remains unchanged: converting a modest improvement in footfall into meaningful spend as the industry’s most important trading season draws nearer,” he said.
Healey urged to boost retailers
The BRC has urged Chancellor John Healey to unwind some of the hikes to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) made by his predecessor Rachel Reeves, while other trade bodies have called on the government to reform business rates.
Andy Burnham has pledged to rejuvenate Britain’s high streets, but his policy pledges so far have focussed on pubs, bars and live music venues.
Helen Dickinson, the BRC’s chief executive, said: “Retailers don’t need warm words, they need lower costs. With his first Budget weeks away, Chancellor Healey has a chance to throw Britain’s high streets a lifeline.
“Retail faces cost pressures and households are watching every penny. Government action on business rates and energy costs would help keep prices down, support investment, and sustain the jobs and communities that retail underpins across the country.”