Declining shopper footfall in May sees Wales drop to second bottom of UK league table

Wales dropped to the second bottom of the UK league table for shopper footfall in May, according to data from the Welsh Retail Consortium.

The WRC found that monthly total Welsh retail footfall fell by 16% between 1 and 28 May, compared to pre-pandemic levels.

This was 2.2 percentage points worse than April this year and significantly lower than the UK average decline of 12.5%.

The figures saw Wales fall to the second bottom of the league table above Scotland which saw a total retail footfall decline by 16.4%.

The North West of England ranked top with the smallest drop in footfall at -8.2% with the East Midlands coming second (-9.9%) and Yorkshire and the Humber third (-10.7%).

The monthly total of Welsh retail footfall as a percentage change on pre-pandemic levels

Footfall to shopping centres also fell by 31.9% in May compared to pre-pandemic levels, and significantly worse than the 29.6% decline in April 2022.

In Cardiff, footfall last month decreased by 15.5% (Yo3Y), 2 percentage points poorer than April.

UK footfall by location as a percentage on pre-pandemic levels

Head of the WRC Sara Jones said: “After an improving trend over recent months, unfortunately visits to Welsh stores slipped back a touch in May compared to the same period prior to the pandemic. This left Wales languishing second bottom of the UK league table for shopper footfall, and still well below the same period prior to the onset of Covid.”

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She added: “The deteriorating performance was mirrored across all retail destinations. Visits to shopping centres fell back slightly after a couple of months of improvement, as did store visits in Cardiff.

“Hopefully, this dip in foot-traffic will prove temporary although concerns over the economic outlook, rising cost of living and continued absence of some commuters isn’t helping. If there isn’t a sustained improvement in shopper footfall over the months ahead then policy makers including newly elected council administrations will need to think more creatively about the role that they can play in helping to bring back the energy and footfall that our retail destinations so urgently need.”

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, said: “Total retail footfall for Wales slipped back slightly this May against pre-pandemic levels. With households already starting to feel the pinch of the rising cost-of-living and growing inflationary pressures, retailers are already seeing the impact it can have on the footfall recovery. As they look ahead to June, retailers will be hoping that high streets will be rallied by the Jubilee weekend celebrations and that the event will prompt ambient shopper traffic and retail spending.”

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