Heavy rainfall sees retail footfall plummet

(Sharecast News) - Retail footfall plunged last month, industry data showed on Friday, as the unusually wet weather kept shoppers at home. According the latest BRC-Sensormatic IQ Footfall Monitor, footfall slumped 6.2% in February, compared to a 2.8% decline a month earlier.

Within that, high streets recorded the biggest decline, with footfall down 9.3% from a more modest 2.3% fall in January.

But shopping centres and retail parks were also affected, with footfall off 7% and 5.8% respectively.

According to the Met Office, nearly a third more rain than usual fell in February, with some parts of the country experiencing record-breaking levels.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Footfall experienced its biggest fall since the pandemic. One of the wettest Februarys on record, exacerbated by train strikes at the start of the month, meant shoppers visited fewer stores, with high streets one of the most significant declines.

"London, where footfall had been outperforming other major cities in the UK, saw one of the most significant declines."

Andy Sumpter, EMEA retail consultant for Sensormatic Solutions, said: "February saw a collision course of disruptive forces negatively impacting store traffic, meaning store visits dipped to their lowest ebb since the pandemic.

"Prior to any energy price cap reduction, and with squeezed spending budgets, the confirmation of the UK's technical recession in 20223 appears to have weakened consumer confidence.

"Even Valentine's Day - which usually provides a frisson of footfall - failed to woo shoppers into stores.

"Many [retailer will be] looking towards the prospect of an early Easter in March to bring about a change of fortunes."