Retail footfall drops again in July, hot weather hits high streets

(Sharecast News) - UK retail footfall fell in July, albeit less than in June, with high streets still the worst performers as the hot weather continued, according to data released on Friday by the British Retail Consortium. The BRC-Sensormatic footfall monitor showed that total footfall declined 2.1%, an improvement on June's 3.4% slump.

Footfall on the high street fell 3.8% in July, having dropped 6.2% in June, while retail parks saw a 1.2% increase, having fallen 0.3% the month before. Footfall at shopping centres was down 1.4% last month following a 2.5% decline in June.

Footfall rose 2.7% in Scotland and 2.6% in Northern Ireland. It was flat in Wales and down 3% in England.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: "The heatwave continued to bear down on retail footfall in July, with high streets worst affected. London was hit particularly hard as soaring temperatures made tube and train travel less attractive, with some commuters and shoppers opting to stay home. Nonetheless, it was still an improvement on the previous month's figures, when record-breaking sunshine saw footfall fall by an even bigger margin.

"Climate change continues to deliver more and more extreme temperatures in the UK. Retailers are responding by investing in both mitigations - such as more air conditioning and more efficient refrigeration units - and in sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Unfortunately, business rates often punish stores for such investments, showing the need for government to look again at this broken system."