Retail footfall in British highstreets bounced back from the pandemic-driven sluggish shopper numbers around January 2023. But despite the recovering numbers, high streets still struggled with diminishing visits. In the most recently reported period in June 2024, there was a reduction of 3.1 percent of visitors to UK high streets. This trend was not peculiar to high streets either. The change in visitor numbers in other retail locations such as shopping centers continuously suffered as well. The decrease was typically worse in warmer months and improved slightly in the winter season.
Retail locations out of favor
With more and more shoppers turning to the convenience of online shopping, the landscape of high street retailing is transforming as store closures are dealing many retail and leisure store categories hard blows. This was exacerberated by the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2023, there were over 10,000 store closures in the United Kingdom.
Store closures before the pandemic
Even before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit, UK retail sector had been going through what many have dubbed as "the retail apocalypse". Many retailers saw store closures and ensuing job losses a year before the pandemic. Among these, Poundland had the highest number of staff lay-offs resulting from store closures.
Year-on-year change in retail footfall in high streets in the United Kingdom (UK) from January 2019 to June 2024
Characteristic
Percentage change in footfall
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Exclusive Premium Statistic
To access all Premium Statistics, you need a paid Statista Account
* December is Christmas numbers (Monday 23rd December vs Saturday December 21). ** From April to December 2021, figures are comparisons to 2019 data. 2022 December figures are Yo3Y comparisons. Otherwise, data shown here are year-on-year comparisons.Â
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
British Retail Consortium. (July 5, 2024). Year-on-year change in retail footfall in high streets in the United Kingdom (UK) from January 2019 to June 2024 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1097669/retail-monthly-footfall-year-on-year-high-streets-united-kingdom-uk/
British Retail Consortium. "Year-on-year change in retail footfall in high streets in the United Kingdom (UK) from January 2019 to June 2024." Chart. July 5, 2024. Statista. Accessed July 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1097669/retail-monthly-footfall-year-on-year-high-streets-united-kingdom-uk/
British Retail Consortium. (2024). Year-on-year change in retail footfall in high streets in the United Kingdom (UK) from January 2019 to June 2024. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1097669/retail-monthly-footfall-year-on-year-high-streets-united-kingdom-uk/
British Retail Consortium. "Year-on-year Change in Retail Footfall in High Streets in The United Kingdom (Uk) from January 2019 to June 2024." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 Jul 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1097669/retail-monthly-footfall-year-on-year-high-streets-united-kingdom-uk/
British Retail Consortium, Year-on-year change in retail footfall in high streets in the United Kingdom (UK) from January 2019 to June 2024 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1097669/retail-monthly-footfall-year-on-year-high-streets-united-kingdom-uk/ (last visited July 23, 2024)
Year-on-year change in retail footfall in high streets in the United Kingdom (UK) from January 2019 to June 2024 [Graph], British Retail Consortium, July 5, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1097669/retail-monthly-footfall-year-on-year-high-streets-united-kingdom-uk/