Signs of footfall return ahead of lifting of Plan B

Increases in footfall are already beginning to be seen after the announcement of the end of Plan B, with footfall on Thursday 20 January up 1.9% on the day previous, and 0.2% on the same day last week, according to the latest figures from Springboard.
However, Springboard said that the “better indicator” of the extent to which employees are returning to their offices is the change in footfall in “large city centres” and “particularly in Central London” where signs are “positive”.

Footfall in regional cities around the UK and particularly in Central London rose from yesterday and from the same day last week; footfall in regional cities outside of the capital was +1.9% higher than last week and +1.2% higher than yesterday.

In Central London, however, the uplift was even greater. Footfall was 3.7% higher than last week and 5.1% from yesterday – and the Springboard Back to the Office Benchmark (comprising those locations close to offices) rose by 7.3% from Thursday last week and by 4.3% from yesterday.

Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said: “We forecast that footfall will continue to rise over the next few weeks as employers reopen their offices, and announce to staff that they can return.”