Storms wash away gains in February as footfall declines across the board

Customer traffic to high streets suffered the most due to the wet weather, with footfall slumping 7.8% during the month according to data from Springboard.

Both retail parks and shopping centres fared better due to their proximity to parking and covered environments, though footfall still declined 1.1% and 2.5% respectively. Shopping centre footfall had edged up in January, raising hopes of a revival in customers visiting retail destinations.

However, Springboard said average footfall decline for the first two months of 2020 was 1.1% compared to 2.5% in 2019, which showed that centres “are on the cusp of achieving some stability in terms of footfall”.

While growing consumer fears around a possible coronavirus outbreak did not have a noticeable impact on February footfall figures, Springboard warned that shopper activity would likely be “stemmed” in the future.

Springboard marketing and insights director Diane Wehrle said the wet weather’s effect on high streets highlighted the location’s “fragility”.

She said: “If further proof of the fragility of high streets were needed, it was provided in February when the impact of the severe and ongoing rain led to a drop in footfall of -7.8%.

“A disparity of 6.7% between the monthly result for high streets and retail parks clearly demonstrates the exposure to extreme conditions that high streets have to contend with.

“In contrast, retail parks are much more sheltered from many of the vagaries that derail high streets; a major part of their advantage is their free and accessible parking, but it is also in part a consequence of the attention they have received from owners over the last few years in enhancing their offer.”