Retail footfall across the UK fell by 10.7% year on year in April 2026, marking a steep deterioration in shopper activity and adding further strain to an already pressured retail sector, according to new data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic.
The decline, covering the four weeks from 5 April to 2 May, followed a weaker March and points to sustained caution among consumers amid economic uncertainty, weak confidence and geopolitical tensions.
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High streets, shopping centres and retail parks all recorded falling visits, suggesting a broad-based slowdown rather than isolated disruption.
Footfall declines across all retail formats
The latest figures show a marked drop in physical shopping activity across the UK retail landscape. High street footfall fell by 9.2% in April compared with the same month last year, while retail parks declined by 9.0% and shopping centres by 10.1%.
The BRC noted that the deterioration was particularly sharp compared with March, when total footfall was down by 2.4% year on year. In April, the rate of decline widened significantly across all retail destinations.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “Even after correcting for Easter, April was still a weak month for footfall. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East pushed consumer confidence to new lows, prompting consumers to make fewer trips to the shops.”
She added that while London showed relative resilience during transport disruption, “while footfall declined in every city, London proved reasonably resilient during the tube strikes, as people adapted, finding alternative routes into the capital.”
Regional differences highlight uneven demand
All four UK nations recorded year-on-year declines in footfall during April, indicating that weaker demand is not confined to specific regions.
Northern Ireland saw the steepest fall at 14.3%, followed by Wales at 13.8%. England recorded a 11.3% decline, while Scotland experienced a comparatively smaller drop of 5.2%.
When March and April are combined to smooth seasonal distortions such as Easter timing, total UK footfall was still down by 3.9% compared with the same period in 2025. High streets fell by 3.3%, retail parks by 3.0% and shopping centres by 3.5%.
The data suggests that underlying consumer caution is persisting beyond short-term calendar effects, with fewer discretionary shopping trips being made across all retail channels.
Confidence pressures and cost concerns weigh on outlook
Retailers and analysts point to a combination of weakened consumer sentiment, geopolitical uncertainty and cost pressures as key factors behind the decline in store visits.
The BRC highlighted that consumer confidence has been affected by international tensions, which are influencing household spending behaviour. Dickinson warned that “the prospect of higher inflation due to the conflict in Middle East could limit consumer appetite for shopping.”
She also called on policymakers to address domestic cost pressures facing businesses, noting that non-commodity charges, levies and taxes account for a significant share of energy costs for retailers.
Looking ahead, the BRC suggested that seasonal improvements and major sporting events could provide some support to footfall trends, but the broader outlook remains uncertain.
For now, the data indicates that UK retail is operating in a subdued demand environment, with consumers continuing to reduce physical shopping trips in response to economic and geopolitical pressures.
