(Alliance News) - Footfall in the UK over the festive period was the strongest since the outbreak of Covid, according to the latest figures, despite the hit from rail strikes and a cold snap.
The latest British Retail Consortium-Sensormatic IQ monitor showed retail footfall in December rose 15% from a year before.
In December, footfall in high streets rose 20% year-on-year, and by 13% in shopping centres, but retail park footfall fell by 1.6%.
Compared to pre-pandemic levels in December 2019, footfall was 7.3% lower. However, it was better than the three-month average of a 10% decline, and the best month of the year when compared to pre-pandemic levels.
"A combination of rail disruption and the cold snap kept many shoppers from visiting town centres and high streets in the last week before Christmas. Meanwhile, the postal strikes forced others to head in for the last week to secure last minute gifts in-store, said Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive.
For 2022 as a whole, footfall was still 12% behind pre-pandemic levels. However, this is a marked improvement from 2021, which was 33% behind.
"Historically low consumer confidence and 30-year-high inflation made for an exceptionally difficult year for consumers and retailers, with footfall down over 10% on pre-pandemic levels. Nonetheless, this was still a significant improvement on the previous two years when the pandemic kept many people at home. Although retailers' input costs show little sign of easing in 2023, they continue to do all they can to keep prices affordable and tempt customers in," Dickinson continued.
By Elizabeth Winter, Alliance News senior markets reporter
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