Retail footfall down 0.7% in January

Retail footfall has declined by 0.7% in January, marking a 14^th consecutive drop in the figure.

Data from the British Retail Consortium and Springboards monthly footfall monitor show that the figure is lower than the 1.6% decline experienced in January 2018.

Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive, said: “Footfall fell by less than the previous year as firms focused on in-store discounts – bringing relatively more people onto the streets. On the other hand the slight increase in the vacancy rate will be a cause for concern at many shopping destinations.”

The British Retail Consortium and Springboard also looked at the vacancy rates in national town centres, which rose to 9.9% from 9.6% in October. 

January saw retail footfall drop by 0.7%, while footfall in shopping centres dropped by 0.9% and footfall in retail parks dropped by 0.3%.