Retail expert MRI Software (formerly MRI Springboard) has announced its latest footfall figures, insights and analysis for September 2023, which shows footfall across UK retail destinations continuing to fall, with a slow September as consumers continue to tighten the purse strings ahead of the Christmas season.
Across all UK retail destinations the decline is -2.8% from August to September, which is also reflected in the annual performance weakening year on year. There was a month on month decline, from August to September, across all three retail destinations including High Streets (-3.2%), shopping centres (-3.7%) and retail parks (-1%). Weekday footfall also fell by -4.5% across all UK retail destinations.
Please see the full press release link and key highlights below.
Highlights:
- Footfall across UK retail destinations declined by -2.8% from August to September, versus a rise of +0.2% over the month from July to August 2023
- This follows a historical trend whereby footfall typically drops from August to September as observed in the decade leading up to 2019
- There was a month on month decline in footfall, from August to September, of -3.2% in high streets, -3.7% in shopping centres, and -1% in retail parks
- Footfall across UK retail destinations rose annually by +1.6% in September versus +1.9% in August and +2.1% in July. In high streets footfall in September was just +1.4% higher than 2022, +1.5% higher in shopping centres, and +2.2% higher in retail parks
- Weekday footfall declined by -4.5% in September versus a rise of +2.7% in August, however footfall during the weekend period rose by +4.6% versus a decline of -3.8% in the month before indicating the reopening of schools following the summer holidays and people returning to offices.
- The gap from the pre-pandemic footfall level narrowed marginally to -10.9% in September from -11% in August driven by an improvement in high streets to -12.8% however there was a deterioration in shopping centres and retail parks as the gap widened to -15.2% and -2.3% respectively.
