• Footfall expected to jump 6.5% this weekend
  • Biggest increases expected in outdoors locations, including high streets and retail parks
  • Footfall in shopping centres is also forecast to increase by 3.5%

Footfall over the bank holiday weekend is expected to be up 6.5% on last year as warm weather and a weak pound entice more shoppers.

Shops are likely to see the biggest jump in shopper numbers on Saturday, when footfall could be up 7.2%, according to footfall retail data by Springboard. 

Springboard marketing and insights director Diane Wehrle said the warm weather forecast and an increase in both overseas and domestic tourists as a consequence of the fallen value of the pound are the likely drivers of the increase in footfall.

Because of the weather, outdoor shopping destinations such as high streets and retail parks are likely to drive the most traffic, with respective increases of 7.3% and 8%.

However, shopper numbers are likely to increase in shopping centres too by an estimated 3.5%.

Wehrle said that footfall has improved across all three retail destination types in recent weeks. The boost has been most prominent on high streets where footfall rose 1% over the last three weeks, compared with the same period last year when footfall dropped 3.3%. 

Earlier this month, London’s Night Tube drove a 14% lift in footfall on London’s Oxford Street on its opening weekend.

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