UK retail footfall continued its steady improvement in January, with the pace of decline across stores slowing compared with the Christmas period.
New data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic shows that total footfall remained down year-on-year but at a more moderate rate, offering early signs of potential recovery for high streets, shopping centres and retail parks.
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The broader context points to a sector adjusting as consumer confidence begins to edge up and shoppers respond to value-driven promotions.
Footfall trends show softer decline in January
According to the latest UK retail footfall data, overall footfall dropped by 0.6 per cent in January compared with the same month last year, a notable improvement on the 2.9 per cent fall recorded in December 2025. This slower rate of decline suggests that the worst of the footfall slump may be abating.
Footfall on high streets and in shopping centres remained in negative territory, down 1.9 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively, compared with steeper declines in the final weeks of 2025. In contrast, retail parks bucked the wider downward trend, recording a 1.1 per cent increase in visitor numbers.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said “an uptick in consumer confidence and possible signs of a footfall recovery offer some cautious optimism for some spring like green shoots.”
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By GlobalDataHer comments reflect a shift from the earlier winter period, when retailers faced year-on-year footfall drops across nearly all shopping locations.
Drivers of footfall performance
The moderation in footfall decline appears linked to evolving consumer behaviour. Retail analysts note that promotional activity around the New Year, including sales events, encouraged more store visits than in late December, when shopper traffic was subdued.
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, said “January offered a welcome reset for UK retail, with footfall recording its best performance in five months.” He added that although “shopper traffic remained in negative territory, the dial moved in the right direction.”
These patterns come after a challenging end to 2025, when total retail footfall fell more sharply and shopping centre visits suffered the steepest declines.
Retail parks have generally outperformed other destinations more recently, a trend that many analysts link to convenience and changing consumer preferences.
Outlook for retailers and high streets
For many in the retail sector, the improved footfall figures are welcome but not definitive proof of a sustained recovery. Ms Dickinson highlighted that building on this momentum could hinge on broader economic and policy conditions.
“Government can enable retailers to build on this momentum by incentivising, rather than inhibiting, investment in stores and colleagues across the country,” she said. Industry voices stress that supportive legislation will play a role in driving long-term footfall growth and investment in local communities.
Retailers and landlords will be watching subsequent monthly figures closely to see if footfall continues to flatten or return to growth in key locations.
With high street footfall still below pre-pandemic levels and consumer confidence only beginning to stabilise, most industry observers describe the January data as a tentative step rather than a full reversal of the broader decline.
