Footfall still declining on the UK’s high streets
FOOTFALL on the UK high streets fell by 1.1 per cent last year, according to data released this morning.
The decline was not as steep as the 3.5 per cent drop recorded by Springboard — which conducts the research — in 2010.
“Despite year-round negative news from retailers, footfall on UK high streets declined at the lowest rate in five years, suggesting that the decline is bottoming out following the steep post-recession drops,” the report said.
And footfall picked up significantly over the Christmas period, according to the data — with a 5.1 per cent rise in December, compared with the same time in 2010.
Higher footfall “does not necessarily mean that shoppers are spending but it does mean retailers have an increased sales opportunity,” the report explained.