March delivered a positive boost to retail activity across the UK, with footfall rising +5.7% month on month across all retail destinations. The increase reflects the influence of key dates in the calendar throughout the month, from Mother’s Day and St Patrick’s Day to the early stages of Easter trading landing much earlier this year, which together likely drove consumers back into physical retail spaces.
High streets experienced the strongest growth month on month at +7.5%, followed by retail parks (+5.1%) and shopping centres (+2.6%). While the month-on-month picture shows growth, the annual comparison remains more mixed, with overall footfall -0.2% lower than March 2025. This reflects the careful balance consumers are striking between spending and managing rising living costs.
Key events and holidays continue to drive short-term spikes
As expected, Mother’s Day played an important role in shaping March’s footfall patterns. The week leading up to the occasion delivered a +1.2% uplift week on week, with shopping centres seeing the strongest increase (+3.1%) as consumers sought out last-minute purchases. However, when compared with the same period last year leading into Mother’s Day, footfall was -4.4% lower, suggesting shoppers were more considered in their spending.
Retailer sentiment also supports this trend; MRI Software’s Insights from the Inside* revealed that around 58% of retailers reported a boost in sales in the week leading up to Mother’s Day.
Earlier in the month, St Patrick’s Day celebrations combined with warmer weather also helped in driving activity, particularly on high streets where footfall rose +6% week on week during mid-March. Strong weekday increases during that week suggest social occasions combined with warmer weather continue to encourage consumers to combine retail, leisure and hospitality visits.
Early Easter trading shows promise but comparisons remain complex
The upward trend continued into the early Easter trading period, with the week leading into the holiday delivering a +6.7% increase in footfall across all retail destinations week on week. Shopping centres led the growth (+8.3%), followed by high streets (+6.1%) and retail parks (+6%), highlighting Easter as one of the year’s major retail trading periods outside of Christmas.
Year-on-year comparisons for that week were also positive overall, particularly for shopping centres (+6.3%) and retail parks (+3.8%), although high streets recorded a modest -1.6% decline. When measured against the equivalent week leading up to Easter 2025, footfall declined slightly by -1.2% overall. High streets fell -1.8%, shopping centres -1.2%, while retail parks recorded a small +0.2% increase. This suggests that while seasonal events still drive strong bursts of activity, consumers are approaching holiday spending more cautiously this year.
Retail parks continue to benefit from convenience-led shopping
One of the clearest trends throughout March was the continued resilience of retail parks, which recorded the strongest annual growth (+1.8%) among all destination types. Shopping centres also saw a modest annual uplift (+1.4%), while high streets experienced a -1.9% decline.
These trends align closely with feedback from retailers themselves. MRI Software’s Insights from the Inside* highlighted that around 70% reported consumers are increasingly visiting stores with specific purchasing intentions, rather than browsing. Retail parks are benefitting from more purposeful shopping behaviour.
Another notable shift continues to be the difference between weekday and weekend activity. Weekday footfall in March was +0.8% higher year on year, driven largely by visits to retail parks, while weekend footfall declined by -1.7%, led by more subdued high street activity. This pattern reflects broader changes in working and lifestyle habits, with hybrid working continuing to spread retail activity more evenly across the week.
Economic uncertainty shaping spending behaviour
Although footfall has remained relatively resilient, retailers are already beginning to notice changes in spending patterns. Over half of retailers (52%) reported, via MRI Software’s Insights from the Inside* that average transaction values have declined since the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, reflecting the wider pressure of rising fuel prices, household bills and wider economic uncertainty.
As a result, shoppers are likely prioritising value, convenience and necessity, making fewer impulse purchases and focusing more on planned shopping trips.
Spring trading begins as consumers prioritise value and purposeful shopping
With Easter falling earlier in the calendar this year, March effectively marked the starting point for spring trading. While footfall trends remain stable, the data shows that events, holidays and social activities continue to drive visits to retail destinations, but shoppers are becoming more intentional as economic pressures persist. For retail stores and destinations, the challenge will be in demonstrating value to its shoppers as they become increasingly deliberate with their purchases. At the same time, access to timely, granular data is becoming critical, giving retailers a clearer view of performance across their entire portfolio and the visibility needed to track shifting behaviours and respond quickly as economic pressures reshape spending patterns.
| March 2026 – UK | ||||
| % Change | OnLocation Footfall Index | High Street Index | Retail Park Index | Shopping Centre Index |
| Monthly | +5.7% | +7.5% | +5.1% | +2.6% |
| Annual | -0.2% | -1.9% | +1.8% | +1.4% |
