Warmer temperatures led to lower retail footfall over last weekend as shoppers shifted towards coastal areas and outdoor spaces amid the heatwave according to data from MRI Software.

Footfall in retail parks and shopping centres went down by 1.3% and 1.5% respectively due to increased temperatures and changing weather across the UK in the last week.

However, high-street retailers experienced modest growth of 1.2% while coastal towns reported a significant increase in footfall traffic of around 11.4%.

Results revealed that between Monday and Friday, retailers experienced a footfall increase, with Thursday being a particularly popular day at 6% growth, boosted by a 6.9% increase in high street visits.

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Over the weekend UK retailers saw footfall plunge by 3% on Sunday and by 7.1% on Saturday, as the heatwave failed to attract more traffic over the weekend. Consumers are shifting towards day trips to coastal towns over the summer.

In particular, retail parks and shopping centres are facing the highest declines with footfall going down by 11% and 11.4% respectively on Saturday.

Historical towns also experienced a slight footfall increase of 1.8% compared to the week prior. In the overall data, footfall went down year-on-year by 1.8% in high-street stores and 1% in shopping centres.

Meanwhile, retail parks saw a rise of 2.2% year-on-year, which may be driven by the demand for summer consumer goods.

Despite the figures, Sainsbury’s reported a surge in sales driven by a growing demand for summer staples amid the heatwave.