Latest data from retail expert Springboard reveals footfall across UK retail destinations rose by +3.3% last week from the week before. Footfall also rose in all three destination types. However, the +4.1% increase in shopping centres versus +3.3% in high streets may well be a consequence of shoppers seeking covered environments during the extremely hot weather.

Footfall rose by a staggering +16.5% on Freedom Day itself, but from Tuesday onwards, when the heat intensified, the uplift from the week before was much more modest averaging just +1.7%. The effect of the intense heat, the end of the school summer term on Tuesday, and the nervousness amongst shoppers created by the ‘pingdemic’, was evident in the results.

Footfall in coastal towns – due to the hot weather – was much stronger than in high streets generally, with a rise of +11% from the week before. The exodus to the coast is demonstrated further by a decline in footfall in Greater London of -0.7%. This is in contrast with rises of +5.4% in the South West and +6.5% in the East; both of which have long expanses of coastline.

The impact of the heat on customer activity was also evident by a rise in footfall of +12.8% post 8pm, when the weather was cooler. This is versus +2.8% pre 8pm. In the South West, the contrast was even starker. A rise of +18.6% post 8pm versus +4.2% pre 8pm. Also, +2.9% pre 5pm, when many people were enjoying the beach rather than shopping.

The overall results for the week left the gap in footfall from the 2019 level largely unchanged at -23.3% across UK retail destinations versus -24.9% in the previous week.

However, the +10.8% uplift in footfall in retail parks on Freedom Day itself – whilst more modest than in high streets and shopping centres (+19.4% and +15.9%) on that day – was enough to close the gap from 2019 completely, reaching +0.4% above the pre-pandemic level.

Commenting is Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard. “Following an above-average start to the week because of Freedom Day on Monday 19 July, the growth in footfall in UK retail destinations slowed considerably from Tuesday onwards. This is likely to be driven by a combination of the extreme heat, the start of the school summer break, and an increased nervousness amongst shoppers in visiting potentially crowded areas created by the growing “pingdemic” which could force them to self-isolate.

“This is demonstrated by a proportionately greater rise in footfall in coastal towns and also in the evening post 8pm when it was cooler, but which is the period of the day that accounts for the smallest proportion of footfall and when the vast majority of stores are closed with only hospitality outlets trading.”