Footfall rose slightly in February compared to January as more workers returned to offices and Covid-19 restrictions came to an end.

Footfall over the four weeks from January 30 to February 26 declined 20.7% compared with the same period in 2019, according to footfall experts Springboard.

However, footfall rose 9.1% compared to January, the largest single monthly uplift since June 2021. It was also three times higher than the growth recorded from September to October last year before the Omicron variant was detected.

High street footfall fell 26.2% across the month compared to February 2019, while footfall in shopping centres decreased 24.1%. Retail park footfall remained the closest to pre-pandemic levels, declining by 5.3%.

 

The removal of all remaining Covid restrictions in England may have boosted consumer confidence in returning to shopping destinations, while the stronger performance was also attributed to the slow return of employees to the office.

Footfall in Central London and cities outside London was 31.9% and 29.8% below 2019 levels respectively last month. Market towns and outer London reported 27.3% and 20.2% declines in footfall compared to 2019 as people continue to work from home in those areas. 

Springboard market and insights director Diane Wehrle said: “February appeared to represent a sweet spot in terms of returning footfall, with consumers’ confidence riding high on the back of the removal of Covid restrictions. However, the concern for retailers over the coming months  must be the likely impact on spending of rising household energy prices and fuel costs.”

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