Despite favourable weather throughout May, the UK’s shopping footfall took a disappointing turn last month, following a more promising start to the year.
New data published by the British Retail Consortium and Sensormatic on Friday (13 June), shows total UK footfall decreased by 1.7% in May (YoY), down from +7.2% in April.
Looking at the data in more granular detail, High Street footfall decreased by 2.5% in May (YoY), down from +5.3% in April. Shopping Centre footfall decreased by 2.3% in May (YoY), down from +5.6% in April. However, Retail Park footfall increased by 0.2% in May (YoY), down from +7.5% in April.
“While stock markets stabilised, higher household bills depressed consumer sentiment and the appetite to visit retail stores. Retail Parks performed the best of all locations, though only registering a slight uptick in shopper traffic,” said Helen Dickinson (Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium).
There was also positive news in the North West, as Manchester’s string of summer activities solidified its position as one of the top-performing English cities, she said.
“Retailers work hard to deliver vibrant, engaging shopping experiences that attract customers and boost footfall across the UK. However, the Chancellor’s 2024 Budget added £5 billion to the industry’s costs, hampering their ability to do so.
“The Government must now ensure that upcoming reforms to business rates, to be announced in the 2025 Budget, leave no shop paying more. These reforms should support and incentivise, rather than penalise, the investment needed to revitalise our high streets and town centres.”
Despite the warm and sunny weather, more typical of peak summer than late spring, footfall didn’t quite follow suit, suggesting that consumers may have favoured outdoor leisure over shopping, said Andy Sumpter, (Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic).
“Still, May’s result is a marked improvement on the -3.6% seen in the same month last year and reflects a more stable trend in 2025 overall.
“Encouragingly, consumer sentiment has shown signs of improvement, with more shoppers feeling optimistic about their personal finances and the wider economy.
“Notwithstanding ongoing cost pressures, retailers will be looking to make hay while the sun shines, focusing on the right mix of experience, value, and convenience to convert seasonal footfall into sustained growth.”
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