December 23 footfall declined 13.1% year-on-year
Footfall was “stubbornly muted” yesterday (23 December), according to research from Sensormatic Solutions.
The platform’s ShopperTrak Analytics data said store visits fell by -13.1% when compared to last year. It also revealed visits to retail parks declined -.8.6% year-on-year.
However, the firm recorded that week-on-week shopper traffic was up 64.8% on 23 December, with shopping centres seeing a 74.3% rise in the amount of visits compared with the week before. It also showed that store visits increased 42.7% on the daily average for December.
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“After an unsettled start to the festive period – defined by shaky consumer confidence and spending hesitancy, retailers will be left feeling frustrated that footfall remains stubbornly muted, after many were pinning their hopes on a surge in store traffic yesterday,” said Andy Sumpter, EMEA retail consultant at Sensormatic Solutions.
“With consumers leaving purchases right up to the wire, some retailers have released Boxing Day deals early to try and unlock that, so far, elusive consumer spending.”
The platform believes retailers like Currys, Boots and Primark have launched their Boxing Day sales early to drive up demand. But Boxing Day is still expected to be the fourth busiest day for in-store shopping.
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Worrying, but not unexpected. How the ‘government’ can keep vacillating on policies which affect all shoppers and, therefore, retailers baffles me. We have seen more ‘growth’ on an oak tree than in the economy since the last election.