Shops are being tipped to see a surge in customers this coming Easter as footfall numbers continue to be steady.
According to MRI Springboard, footfall in the week to end 26 March 2023 was at 97% of the week before and at 80% of pre-Covid levels.
According to @Springboard_ weekly retail footfall in the week to 26 March 2023 was:
????️ 97% of the previous week
????️ 80% of the equivalent week of 2019 pic.twitter.com/G9EmYsIAiR
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) March 30, 2023
Earlier this week, the researcher predicted retailers will see a 5.1% week-on-week boost during the Easter weekend (7-10 April), according to its forecasts.
Good Friday is tipped to see the biggest jump with a 10.3% week-on-week rise across all UK outlets, with an increase of 15% on high streets.
Easter Saturday should see an uptick of 6.2% though bank holiday Monday will tail off to a decline of 3.4%.
MRI Springboard said this is a change from a year ago when footfall was flat or slightly lower over the Easter weekend but fits previous patterns.
Diane Wehrle, the researcher's insights director, commented: "Easter 2023 is more likely to follow long-term trends in footfall over the bank holiday weekend recorded by MRI Springboard over the past 16 years.
This trend typically shows increases in footfall from the week before on Good Friday and Easter Saturday with a drop on Easter Monday, she said, reflecting the fact that many "office-based employees are on leave and so not in their offices on that day".
Wehrle added it was likely customers are holding off making shopping trips and waiting for Easter itself.
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