Retail footfall drops in November amid bad weather, Budget uncertainty

(Sharecast News) - UK retail footfall fell again in November, dented by bad weather and uncertainty ahead of the Budget, according to figures released on Friday by the British Retail Consortium. The BRC-Sensormatic footfall monitor showed that total footfall fell 0.8% following a 0.7% decline in October.

High street footfall was down 1.2% in November, having risen 0.6% the month before.

Footfall at retail parks was 0.4% lower following a 0.5% decline the month before, while shopping centres saw a 1.3% fall in November, having dropped 0.9% in October.

Footfall in Northern Ireland rose 2.7%. However, Scotland, Wales and England saw declines of 0.3%, 0.4% and 1%, respectively.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: "Wet weather and the prospect of a tax-rising Budget meant some shoppers held off shopping visits last month. Storm Claudia prompted many consumers to search online for Black Friday deals throughout November, leading some to not visit bricks-and-mortar stores on Black Friday. There was good news in some northern UK cities as Manchester and Sheffield continued to buck the trend, recording positive footfall for the eighth consecutive month.

"With the Golden Quarter in full swing, retailers are continuing to invest what they can to entice customers into stores over Christmas. However, as we approach the New Year, given the downward trend in footfall across recent years, we need a comprehensive strategy to revitalise our high streets and shopping centres, from better transport, affordable parking, to a reformed planning system to enable faster, better development."