UK retail footfall falls 3.4% in June as heatwave keeps shoppers inside

UK retail footfall fell 3.4% year-on-year in June as record temperatures kept shoppers indoors, with high streets experiencing the steepest decline, according to new data from the British Retail Consortium and Sensormatic. 

The data, covering the five weeks from 31 May to 5 July, showed the decline worsened from a 2.6% fall in May. High street footfall dropped 6.2%, compared with a 1.5% decline the previous month, while shopping centre footfall fell 2.5%. Retail parks proved the most resilient, with footfall down just 0.3%.

The figures suggest shoppers avoided outdoor retail destinations during June’s record temperatures, while indoor shopping centres and retail parks were less heavily affected.   

The regional picture also reflected the impact of the heatwave. Scotland was the only nation to record growth, with footfall rising 1.7%, while England saw the largest decline at 3%. Wales recorded a 2.3% fall and Northern Ireland was 0.9%.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Footfall dropped in June as the record heatwave kept many shoppers indoors. High streets saw the sharpest declines, while air-conditioned shopping centres and retail parks proved more resilient.”

“While London and the South East, where temperatures were highest, registered the biggest decline, other regions performed markedly better. Scotland saw footfall rise, buoyed by cooler weather and the continued gradual opening of Glasgow City Centre after March’s devastating Union Corner fire.”

Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA at Sensormatic, said the figures suggested consumers were continuing to make “fewer, more considered trips” despite a slight improvement in consumer confidence.

He added: “Exceptionally high temperatures are likely to have influenced behaviour, particularly in the South, where record heat and travel disruption made shopping trips less appealing.” 

Sumpter added that the World Cup had affected footfall, with key matches “drawing attention and occasionally keeping shoppers away”.

The latest figures leave UK retail footfall down 3.3% year to date, with retailers hoping to convert increasingly deliberate shopping trips into stronger spending during the second half of the year.