UK footfall boosted by bank holiday

By

Cajsa Lykke Carlson

Published
May 26, 2015

Footfall numbers in the UK rose over the past weekend's bank holiday, retail intelligence expert Springboard has reported. Footfall on the high street was up 4.4% year-on-year in the period.

However, footfall in retail parks fell 4.2%, and footfall in shopping centres was also down, by 3.1%. Coastal and historic towns saw a strong increase in footfall, as it was also the start of the UK's school's summer half term. Footfall rose 14.1% in coastal towns and 13% in historic towns.

Diane Wehrle, Insights Director at Springboard says, "As UK schools' summer half term begins at a time when consumer confidence is at a high, families were confidently out in force across UK high streets over the weekend, bringing a welcome boost to what has been a difficult start to the year for these destinations. Coastal and historic towns proved popular as the sun shone over the bank holiday, resulting in a decline in shopping centres and interestingly retail parks that to date have been the leaders. The figures indicate the beginning of a shift in footfall trends as the summer months begin."