UK retail foot traffic for 2024 decreased by 2.2% compared to the previous year, reflecting a second straight year of decline according to data from BRC-Sensormatic. Despite some recovery from a more significant 4.5% decline in November, the December drop was 2.2%, affecting the typically bustling Golden Quarter, which observed a 2.5% year-on-year decrease.
During the five weeks spanning from November 24 to December 28, 2024, various UK retail sectors experienced differing trends:
- High Streets: December footfall decreased by 2.7% year-on-year, yet showed improvement from November’s 3.7% dip.
- Retail Parks: Held steady with no change year-on-year for December, marking better performance than November’s 1.1% setback.
- Shopping Centres: Saw a 3.3% year-on-year decline in December, but recovered from November’s 6.1% drop.
When breaking down the data across the UK nations, all areas experienced declines:
- Scotland: Decreased by 1.5%
- England: Fell by 2.1%
- Wales: Experienced a 2.6% drop
- Northern Ireland: Experienced a notable 5.8% reduction in footfall
Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium, highlighted that outdated business rates continue to deter investments on high streets. Meanwhile, Andy Sumpter from Sensormatic urged retailers to find innovative strategies in 2025 to seize sales opportunities as foot traffic continues to decline.