UK retail footfall dives to lowest level on record after coronavirus lockdown
UK retail footfall fell to the lowest level on record last month after the government ordered all non-essential stores to close during the coronavirus lockdown.
Footfall plunged 41.3 per cent in March compared to the previous year, the latest data showed, driven by a drop of 81.4 per cent in the final week of the month following the implementation of a UK coronavirus lockdown.
Meanwhile, visits to UK retail destinations were down 83.1 per cent over the Easter weekend, which is one of the most important shopping weekends of the year after Christmas.
Footfall was 14.5 per cent lower than the same period in the previous week, as consumers stuck to the rules and stayed home despite the warm weather.
In March, UK retail park footfall declined slower than at shopping centres and high streets as shoppers flocked to supermarkets as the prospect of a lockdown became increasingly likely.
In the final week of the month, the drop in footfall across UK retail parks was 15 per cent less than high streets and shopping centres as consumers continued to shop for essential items, according to Springboard data.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard said: “It is likely that even when we are in recovery, the psychological impact of the pandemic will linger with social distancing continuing to be the new normal for some time to come.
“If this were to be the case, retail parks and the space they offer will be a favoured destination for many.
In the meantime, as lock down is likely to continue for some weeks yet, Britons will remember the role retail staff across grocery, pharmacy and every day essentials stores played in March 2020 and beyond in keeping it possible for families and households to continue to shop during such troubling times.”