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Published
May 13, 2019
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April footfall disappoints despite late Easter, town centre vacancies increase

Published
May 13, 2019

UK footfall numbers for April were worse than the same month last year despite benefitting from a late Easter, further underlining the multiple challenges facing British retailers.


Photo: Shafetsbury


According to the BRC–Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor, footfall declined by 0.5% in April when compared to the same month last year, when it had fallen by 3.3%.

There was a small decline in high street footfall (down 1% year-on-year), which was not so bad considering that the figure fell by 4% in the previous year.

Shopping centres experienced a larger decline, down 2.1% in April. However, this was also good news relative to the previous year, when shopping centre footfall decreased by 3.1%.

And retail parks reported a 2.2% increase, as shoppers spent time and money on their homes and gardens at the start of spring.

The data revealed that the national town centre vacancy rate was 10.2% in April, a further increase on the previous quarter rate of 9.9% and the highest since April 2015.

“There is an obvious distortion in the year on year footfall results for April due to the early Easter in March last year. However, the expected bounty as a result of Easter occurring in April this year did not provide enough of a boost to deliver positive figures for the month, with footfall still -0.5% lower than April last year. This demonstrates the continued challenges facing many retailers, also reflected in the 10.2% vacancy rate which has risen in each of the past four quarters and is now the highest it has been for four years,” commented Diane Wehrle, Springboard marketing and insights director.

“With regular reports of shop closures, it may come as no surprise that town centre vacancy rates rose to their highest level in four years. Empty shopfronts, particularly for larger stores, can deter shoppers from an area, decreasing footfall for all those around,” said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium.

“This effect can be cyclical, with the long-term decline in footfall pushing up vacancy rates, particularly in poorer areas. Furthermore, the cumulative impact of Government policy costs – from spiralling Business Rates to the Apprenticeship Levy and more – have also made physical space less cost effective.”

She continued: “If the Government is serious about reversing the decline on our high streets, then reforming the broken Business Rates system would be an essential first step.”

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