The market is showing positive signs for most bricks and mortar retailers, as consumer footfall increased again across all store formats during February 2025.
According to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), across the whole of the UK, retail footfall saw a small bounce as it increased by 0.2% year-on-year.
Retail park locations saw the biggest boost in February, and were up by 2% in February compared to this time in 2024. High street and shopping centre retailers saw a much smaller increase – of just 0.1% – but an improvement nonetheless.
Looking at the data from across the UK, footfall in Wales was up by 2.7% year-on year, England was up by 0.2%. However, Northern Ireland saw a slight decrease of 0.1% year-on year, and Scotland saw a decline of 0.3%.
“Footfall increased for the second consecutive month, with retail parks continuing to outperform other retail destinations,” commented Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC.
“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.
However, Dickinson also called on the government to offer more support for retailers, at a time when footfall and sales have been fluctuating wildly. She added: “Retailers are always looking for ways to invest in shopping destinations and the communities they serve. Unfortunately, the £7 billion 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 revitalisation, 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.”
