UK retail footfall fell 1.1% year on year in January, as severe weather conditions kept shoppers away during the week, according to new data from MRI Software.
Snow and heavy rainfall contributed to a 2.5% decline in weekday visits, with the West Midlands and East Midlands experiencing the sharpest drops of 5% and 4.9% respectively.
Weekend footfall rose 2.6% year-on-year, with the software firm suggesting consumers were timing their shopping trips around better weather and prioritising essential purchases such as groceries.
Retail parks were the only destination to record annual growth, up 1.1%, supported by a 4.1% weekend uplift, while high streets and shopping centres faced tougher conditions, declining 2.3% and 0.8% respectively.
Central London office locations showed resilience, with the firm’s Back to Office benchmark up 2.4% year on year, as workers returned to the workplace after the festive break.
The month-on-month decline of 20.8% following December’s Boxing Day-boosted trading reflected typical seasonal patterns rather than underlying weakness, said MRI.
Consumer confidence improved by one point to -16 in January. With Valentine’s Day falling on a Saturday this year, the firm said retailers would be preparing for increased experiential spending. Last year, Valentine’s Day drove a 21.8% week-on-week footfall uplift across UK retail destinations.
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