June footfall data paints a mixed but generally subdued picture of retail store fortunes in a month marked by heatwaves and major events. We round up the figures below. Both cover the five weeks between June 1 and July 5.
The figures follow a report earlier in the week that suggested warm May and June weather lifted online sales volumes at the expense of stores.
BRC/Sensormatic: ‘extreme weather’ kept shoppers home
BRC/Sensormatic figures saw fewer shoppers visiting stores in June heatwaves, although crowds came out for sporting events and gigs.
Retail footfall fell by 1.8% in June, compared to a year earlier – and across all types of retail destinations, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic. A year earlier footfall had fallen by 2.3%.
This year, visits to high streets were hit the hardest (-3% year-on-year) followed by shopping centres (-1.6%) and retail parks (-1.1%). All four UK nations were affected, led by Northern Ireland (-5.2%), Wales (-3%), Scotland (-3%) and England (-1.4%).
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “Extreme weather meant shoppers stayed away from their local stores last month, leading to a decline in footfall across all three key retail locations. High streets were particularly affected as extreme heat was followed by severe thunderstorms, discouraging visits. Subdued consumer sentiment means shoppers remain cautious – making it increasingly difficult for retailers to generate strong footfall into their stores.”
Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, said: “One year on from the general election, with footfall still in the red, it appears that consumer confidence has yet to find its feet.
That said, the rate of decline is easing, and with summer now in full swing, retailers have an opportunity to turn seasonal footfall into sustained momentum—especially those who can deliver value, experience, and convenience in equal measure.”
MRI Software: flat retail with signs of recovery in a sunny summer
However, data from MRI Software suggests that footfall across retail destinations was up by 0.1% in June, compared to a year earlier. The growth was driven by retail parks (+1.2%): numbers were down at shopping centres (-0.5%) and on high streets (-0.1%). Footfall was also down by 0.5% on the previous month, across all destination types.
However, MRI also detects signs of recovery in the final week of the month, when visitor numbers rose to both retail parks (+1.2%) and high streets (+0.3%).
It also has more detailed figures on the effect of music and sporting events. Footfall was up in Birmingham over the first weekend of July (+18% on the previous year) when Black Sabbath played Villa Park, ELO played the Utilita Arena and England’s cricketers played India at Edgbaston.
And in Cardiff, the Oasis reunion tour saw footfall rise by 25.1% YOY over the same weekend – and by 61.9% on the Friday night (July 4) of the gig alone.
MRI also detects a 3.8% rise in Central London weekday footfall throughout June, as the return-to-office trend continues. Across the UK, weekday footfall was 0.4% ahead.
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