The British Retail Consortium (BRC)-ShopperTrak data has revealed that the total year on year (YoY) footfall for 2020 dropped by 43.4%.
During December, UK footfall YoY was down by 46.1%, which is a 19.3 percentage point improvement compared to the previous month during lockdown.
BRC data also reveals that retail footfall on high streets dropped by 49.5% YoY this month. Additionally, shopping centre footfall declined by 17.3% YoY.
Northern Ireland recorded the lowest footfall decline at -47.2%, Scotland reported -50.2%, while Wales saw -52.3% drop.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “After an encouraging start to the month Christmas shopper numbers dwindled as December progressed, due in large part to the creation of Tier 4 in England and increased restrictions elsewhere in the UK.
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By GlobalData“London, the South East and Wales were hardest hit, with footfall dropping by over four-fifths in the final week. However, it has been a hard year for the entire country, with footfall down by 43% in 2020 compared to the previous year.
“Now that all parts of the UK are effectively in lockdown and with social distancing measures expected to continue well into the New Year, ‘non-essential’ stores will be unable to trade their way back to recovery. A third lockdown will be one too many for some businesses.
“The Government must urgently reassure those businesses hardest hit by the pandemic that they will receive vital financial support in the form of an extension to the coronavirus business rates relief.”
