UK footfall remains below 2023 levels but Euro’s and Taylor Swift’s tour give boost

Footfall dropped by 1.4% year-on-year across all UK retail destinations in June, led by a 2.3% fall in high street footfall and a 1.3% drop in shopping centres, though retail parks saw a marginal uplift of 0.5%.

This is according to the latest data from retail analysts MRI Software, covering the five weeks from 26 May – 29 June, which suggests many people decided to take an early holiday given the “dismal” start to the summer.

However, footfall rose 2.7% from May to June, driven by a 3.8% uplift in shopping centres, a 3.1% jump in high streets and a more modest 0.7% rise in retail parks.

Most of the gains occurred in the second half of June, coinciding with England’s football matches in Euro 2024, the UK arrival of Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ tour and a mini-heatwave.

The ‘Taylor Swift Effect’ was noticeable in Wales’ high streets during the third week of June, as footfall rose 11.4% from the previous week. It also contributed to the boost in Central London - particularly on Saturday 22 June with Taylor Swift playing at Wembley Stadium - when activity was up 16.3% from the week before, and up by 4.7% year-on-year.

Jenni Matthews, Marketing and Insights Director at OnLocation for Footfall Analytics, MRI Software, said: "GFK’s recent report highlighted a continued boost in consumer confidence for the third consecutive month with people’s sentiment around the general economic situation – both past and future – driving this forward.

"As the sector prepares for the Golden Quarter, it’s important for retail leaders to keep up with changing consumer trends, sentiments and behaviours, so store planning – from staffing to energy and facilities management – can be managed effectively to cope with external factors including the weather, rail disruption and city-wide events."

MRI Software’s recent Consumer Pulse survey also revealed that 46.5% of consumers plan to take a vacation abroad this year, with July and August as the prime months. That could lead to a quiet summer for retail and all the more reason for retailers to plan well ahead for the so-called Golden Quarter.