Hopes for a Christmas-fueled revival among shops never materialised as footfall fell in December to cap off a poor Golden Quarter and tough year as a whole.
According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), footfall in UK shops declined by 2.2% year on year last month.
Though this marked an improvement from the 4.5% drop seen in November, a further fall meant footfall was down by 2.5% over the Golden Quarter in the three months to December.
High street footfall decreased by 2.7% in December, while shopping centre’s faced a 3.3% drop as shopper numbers across retail parks remained flat year on year.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson noted “a drab December” had capped off a “disappointing year” in which retail footfall dropped by 2.2% against 2023.
Footfall across UK shops had fallen for two consecutive years as a result, she pointed out.
“High streets and shopping centres were hit particularly hard throughout the year as people veered towards retail parks to take advantage of free parking and the variety of larger stores,” Dickinson added.
“Shopping habits have been changing fast and customers are increasingly looking for more experiential shopping, as well as a variety of cafes, services and things to do.
“Unfortunately, investment in town centres and high streets is held back by our outdated business rates system, which penalises town and city centres.”