Deluges in early summer drove shoppers from Britain's high streets
Monday 20 August 2012
Related articles
The soggy summer weather decimated footfall on the UK's high streets between May and July, compounding the pressure on retailers from the prolonged consumer spending downturn.
Visitor numbers to the high street have now fallen for the last year and a half, although the persistent rain meant that shopping centres offering cover from the elements fared better over the last quarter.
A 0.2 per cent rise in town centre shop vacancy rates to 11.4 per cent further lays bare the malaise affecting retail chains without a substantial internet presence as the shift to online shopping continues, according to the British Retail Consortium and Springboard survey.
Footfall on the high streets tumbled by 7.3 per cent in July, leading to an average fall of 5.5 per cent over the three months from 1 May.
Stephen Robertson, the BRC's director general, said: "Some of the wettest weather on record drove a sharp decline in shopper numbers over the quarter. July saw the biggest drop in overall footfall with high streets suffering the most. Apart from the Christmas boost in December, high-street footfall has been down for 18 months, driven by jobs fears and falling disposable incomes."
Across high street, out-of-town and shopping centres, total shopper numbers fell by 2.3 per cent between May and July, compared with the same period last year. This reflected a more modest 1.2 per cent fall in footfall at out-of-town retail parks and a 0.4 per cent decline at shopping centres over the quarter.
London suffered the worst footfall, with an 8.9 per cent fall over the quarter, followed by Scotland's 8.2 per cent decline.
However, some of the capital's retailers appear to have benefited from the Olympics. A separate survey from Springboard found that footfall on Greater London's high streets – excluding those in the centre of the city – rose by 5 per cent for the 16 days of the Games. This followed a return in visitors to shops during the second week of London 2012 after earlier warnings about traffic congestion failed to materialise. But across the UK's high streets footfall slipped by 0.2 per cent between 27 July and 12 August, reflecting the consumer downturn and many people being glued to their TVs cheering on Team GB's Olympians.
-
Have shock jocks gone too far after Rush Limbaugh called Sandra Fluke a slut?
-
Former Google exec says he has 100,000 emails showing how 'immoral' company avoids paying UK tax
-
British business: We need to stay in the European Union - or risk losing up to £92bn a year
-
World news in pictures
-
British father faces charges after confessing to slitting his two children's throats in Lyon flat
- 1 British business: We need to stay in the European Union - or risk losing up to £92bn a year
- 2 You thought Ryanair's attendants had it bad? Wait 'til you hear about their pilots
- 3 Sam Wallace: The second coming of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea will be a reunion that can only end in tears
- 4 Gay marriage: David Cameron takes on the 'wreckers' among Conservative MPs in key vote
- 5 It’s official: thanks to Stephen Hawking's Israel boycott, anti-Semitism is no more
Get your summer started with British Military Fitness
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
Visit York
Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
iJobs Money & Business
Finance Governance Manager - Banking - £500pd
£500 per day: Orgtel: A top tier banking client urgently requires Finance Gove...
Quant Analyst,Front Office/Risk,London,£500-680pd
£500 - £680 per day: Orgtel: Quantitative Risk Analyst, Front Office/Risk Bank...
Quant Analyst, Banking, London, £55-60k Per Annum
£55000 - £60000 per annum + Benefits + Pension: Orgtel: Quantitative Analyst, ...
Fidessa Analyst / PM - Banking - London - £600pd
£550 - £600 per day: Orgtel: Fidessa Analyst / PM - Banking - London - Up to £...
Day In a Page
The price of pacifism
Jason Isaacs: Groupies, theatre bores and James Bond
Sealand: 'Micronation' or illegal fortress?
Legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing
Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation'



Comments