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UK footfall slowed for the third consecutive month and now sits just 6.8% compared with the same period in 202, as the rising cost of living cuts consumer visits according to the latest data from Springboard.
Springboard revealed that superficially September’s results suggest that footfall has largely been unaffected by the cost of living crisis, with the gap from 2019 narrowing marginally to -12.6% from -13.2% in August.
However, it added that “far more revealing of the severity of the economic situation facing households” is provided by a comparison of footfall in September 2022 with September 2021, when all Covid restrictions had been removed.
The uplift in footfall across the UK diminished for the third consecutive month from +8.6% in August and +15.6% in July.
High streets are not only facing the challenge of inflation, according to Springboard, but hybrid working is also impacting the recovery of footfall. It found around a half of all employees continuing to work at home for at least part of the working week activity in high streets remains “significantly lower” than in 2019, particularly during the Monday to Friday period.
In September, footfall in UK high streets during weekdays was -17.4% below 2019 versus just -6.9% below 2019 at the weekend.
Springboard added: “The energy price guarantee introduced by the government has eased some of the severe doom felt by many households. However, the ongoing rate of inflation combined with the recent rise in interest rates means that from October onwards shoppers will inevitably exercise even greater discretion and be more considered in their purchasing behaviour.
“The impact on footfall and therefore on retail sales will be immediate, with it also being likely that fewer trips will be made to larger centres that incur a greater travel cost. This was a trend that Springboard identified over the previous two recessionary periods when austerity encouraged shoppers to shop more locally, however, on a positive note this may continue to deliver a greater degree of resilience in smaller more local high streets that was a key trend of the pandemic period.”
