Total UK retail footfall fell by 0.7% year on year in October, marking a sixth consecutive monthly decline in store traffic even as high streets notched a modest uptick, new BRC–Sensormatic data show.
The figures cover the four weeks from 5 October to 1 November 2025, aligning the headline decline with the industry’s standard trading period for October.
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High streets rose 0.6% year on year, while shopping centres and retail parks dipped 0.9% and 0.5% respectively. Wales posted a 0.6% increase, with declines in England (-0.9%), Scotland (-0.1%) and Northern Ireland (-0.2%).
High streets steady, but retail parks and malls lag
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said the headline drop eased from September’s 1.8% fall, yet underlying trends remained weak across shopping centres and retail parks.
“While overall footfall fell for the sixth consecutive month, there was some good news on High Streets,” BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson noted, pointing to a late-month boost from a Friday Halloween.
She warned that “with consumer confidence remaining weak ahead of the possibility of a tax-raising Budget, many households have stayed away from shopping centres and retail parks.”
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By GlobalDataSensormatic’s Andy Sumpter said October’s year-on-year decline “softened from September’s -1.8% drop” and that the Halloween calendar effect delivered “a brief treat,” but overall “shoppers remain cautious.”
He added that some retailers moved up discounting “to tempt early spend” ahead of Black Friday and the festive peak.
Mixed signals from consumer confidence and retail sales
UK consumer confidence improved in October, with the GfK index rising two points to -17, its joint-highest since August 2024. Even so, sentiment remained in negative territory, consistent with households delaying discretionary purchases and shopping around for value.
Official data offer a slightly brighter backdrop on volumes: ONS figures showed retail sales rose 0.5% in September, the fourth monthly increase in a row, helped by tech and online jewellery demand.
However, volumes are still below pre-pandemic levels, underlining the gap between improving headline sales and weaker in-store footfall.
Costs, rates and policy loom over the “golden quarter”
Retailers continue to navigate cooling but still-elevated inflation and cost pressures into the crucial “golden quarter.” Recent ONS releases show annual CPI running below last year’s peaks but still above the Bank of England’s 2% target, a drag on real incomes that keeps value-seeking front of mind.
The BRC urged ministers to use the Autumn Budget to relieve business rates burdens, arguing that support for “large anchor stores” would help sustain high street footfall and surrounding local economies.
The government has scheduled the Budget for Wednesday 26 November—just two days before Black Friday 2025, which falls on Friday 28 November—heightening attention on any measures that could influence peak-season demand.
Outlook: early discounting and regional divergence
October’s pattern shows high streets stabilising while retail parks and shopping centres remain under pressure, with Wales bucking declines elsewhere.
Sumpter said the slight improvement “may hint at early seasonal activity,” as retailers try to pull demand forward ahead of Black Friday.
Dickinson called for “a meaningful rates reduction for the industry” to spur investment in “fresh and exciting shopping destinations” and better in-store experiences that could lift UK retail footfall over time.
