UK footfall jumps +16% in February as roadmap to reopening and vaccine roll-out boosts consumer confidence

Footfall across all UK retail destinations rose by +16% in the four weeks from 31 January to 27 February, 2021, according to the latest data from retail experts Springboard.

Continuing “lockdown fatigue,” combined with a newfound consumer confidence following the roadmap to reopening announcement and the continued vaccine roll-out are cited as the key drivers, and it was the largest month on month increase for February since Springboard’s footfall data became available in 2009.

Footfall also strengthened in February to an annual decline of -61% from -65.6% in January, 2021.

There was growth in all three shopping destination types in February, with the largest growth in high streets at +18%, followed by retail parks at +16.7% and then shopping centres at +11.7%.

The data reinforces Springboard’s forecast for a significant uplift in footfall in retail destinations in the first week of reopening on 12 April, 2021, of +47.9%.

The overall level of footfall in retail destinations is still only 39% of that in 2020, and when footfall peaked in August 2020 - after reopening in June - it still remained 25% below the level in the year before.

Diane Wehrle, Insights Director at Springboard, said: “Even with increased consumer confidence generated by the success of the vaccine programme, retailers will have a significant amount of ground to make up if they are to recover to anywhere near pre-Covid levels, reinforcing the need for the High Street Restart Grants to support retailers announced by the Chancellor in the Budget.”