UK shopping centre footfall decreased by 2.2% YoY in November 2023. Credit: Kleomenis Spyroglou on Unsplash.

Total retail footfall in the UK declined by 0.7% in November 2023 on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic IQ.

Despite the fall, the figure was an improvement on a negative 5.7% in October.

During the four weeks from 29 October to 25 November 2023, high street footfall decreased by 1.7% YoY, improving from a negative 4.6% in the previous month.

Retail footfall in shopping centres dropped by 2.2% in November, an improvement on a negative 7.3% in the preceding month.

British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson stated: “A slight uptick in consumer confidence, as well as easing inflationary pressures and more predictable weather, led to an improvement in footfall compared to the previous month.

“After a slow October start, the month-long Black Friday sales helped to get shoppers out to their town and city centres. While all parts of the UK saw footfall drop in October, both the West Midlands and Yorkshire managed positive growth in November.”

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Regionally, Wales reported the smallest YoY drop in footfall at 0.4%, followed by Scotland which saw a YoY drop of 0.9%.

England recorded a YoY drop of 1.0% and Northern Ireland 4.9%.

Helen Dickinson added: “The extensive cost pressures on the retail industry over the last two years have limited investment and driven up prices at many shopping destinations.

“The Chancellor’s failure to commit to a business rates freeze in his recent Autumn Statement will inflict hundreds of millions of pounds in additional costs. This will inevitably slow the decline in inflation, as well as limiting long-term investment and limiting any upside from improvements in UK footfall.”