Retail parks lead the way as footfall sees small bounce in February

UK footfall edged up 0.2% in February as the performance from UK retail parks helped footfall increase for the second consecutive month, according to the latest BRC-Sensormatic data.
Footfall increased by 0.1% at UK high streets, down from 4.5% in January, while Shopping Centre footfall increased by 0.1% in February (YoY), down from 7.4% in January.

Retail Parks were the biggest driver of footfall, increasing by 2.0% in February (YoY) as shoppers were drawn to the wide variety of stores, however this was down from 7.9% in January.

Geographically, footfall increased year-on-year for both Wales, up by 2.7%, and England, up by 0.2%. Northern Ireland saw a year-on-year decrease of 0.1%, while Scotland experienced a decline of 0.3%.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Footfall increased for the second consecutive month, with retail parks continuing to outperform other retail destinations. The variety of larger retail outlets and the option of free parking enticed customers to visit retail parks over their local high street or shopping centre which saw only marginal improvements. Strong investment in retail parks and fewer empty stores has led to consistent positive shopper traffic over the past year.

“Retailers are always looking for ways to invest in shopping destinations and the communities they serve. Unfortunately, the £7bn worth of costs facing the industry from the Budget will hinder retailers’ ability to do this. At a time when many high streets are in desperate need of revitilisation, the government must do more to support the retail industry’s ability to invest. Ensuring no shop pays more as a result of business rates reform and delaying the new packaging levy would allow for more investment in stores and jobs, giving footfall a better chance of recovery in 2025.”

Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, added: “After January’s jump-start, retail footfall in February stalled, with retailers seeing only the slimmest improvements compared to 2024 last month. While the good news is that shopper counts remained steady, many would have been hoping for a more substantial leap building off a strong start to the year. Retail Parks, consistently one of the top performers in 2024, once again outstripped other retail destinations in February, as the convenience and choice built into their retail offerings again proved popular with customers.

“With Easter falling late and well into April this year, this will, undoubtedly, put added pressure on retailers as we head into March. To plug the gap, retailers have an opportunity to create compelling reasons to visit and enhance their offerings with greater convenience and choice, which have been the standout strengths of Retail Park performance.”