UK footfall has declined for the fifteenth consecutive year in February, making it the weakest month in five years. BRC recorded a 2.0 per cent decline in footfall last month, compared to a 0.2 per cent fall in the same period last year.
Covering the four weeks between January 27 and February 23, BRC reported a high street footfall decline of 1.9 per cent compared to a 1.2 per cent fall in the same period last year, marking seven consecutive months of decline. Meanwhile, footfall at retail parks declined by 0.8 per cent, making it a sharp decline compared to a growth of 1.4 per cent last year.
Furthermore, shopping centre footfall declined by 3.4 per cent, compared to a 0.9 per cent fall in the same period last year. “These figures echo the month’s poor Retail Sales figures, which saw weak growth, particularly in bricks-and-mortar stores,” BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said.
