UK retail footfall declined in May as record sunshine and a late-month heatwave changed shopping behaviour, with many consumers choosing to stay indoors rather than visit stores.
Total UK footfall fell 2.6% year on year during the four weeks to 30 May, according to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic data.
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The fall represented an improvement from April, when UK retail footfall dropped by 10.7% year on year, but retailers continued to face pressure from cautious consumer spending and changing shopping habits.
The BRC said warmer weather initially encouraged more people to visit shops, but record temperatures at the end of May reversed the trend. The impact was strongest in shopping centres and retail parks, where fewer consumers made physical shopping trips.
Heatwave changes shopping patterns
High temperatures affected different retail locations in different ways. Shopping centre footfall declined 2.4% year on year in May, while retail park visits fell 0.5%. High street footfall proved more resilient, declining by 1.5% as people already out and about continued to visit local shops.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said the month showed a clear shift in consumer behaviour.
“While warmer weather initially encouraged more people to the shops, the record-breaking temperatures at the end of the month resulted in a sharp decline in footfall,” she said.
The impact of weather on retail visits highlights the growing challenge for businesses that rely on physical store traffic. Extreme conditions can quickly influence when consumers shop, where they shop and whether they choose online channels instead.
Consumer confidence remains fragile
Despite the improvement from April, retailers continue to operate in a difficult environment. The BRC said households remain concerned about future price increases and wider economic uncertainty, which continues to affect discretionary spending.
Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA at Sensormatic, said May showed some signs of recovery but that retail footfall remained under pressure.
“May showed a modest improvement on April’s bleak performance, but retail footfall remains under pressure,” he said.
He added that shoppers appeared to be changing how they use physical retail spaces, with fewer visits in some locations but continued interest in retail destinations. Shopping centre visits as destinations increased, even though individual retailer visits declined, suggesting consumers were becoming more selective about purchases.
Retailers adapt to changing demand
The latest figures underline the importance of understanding changing consumer behaviour as retailers prepare for the summer trading period. Weather conditions, household budgets and economic confidence are increasingly influencing store visits.
The BRC said footfall declined across most parts of the UK in May. Scotland was the only nation to record growth, with footfall rising 0.4% year on year. England recorded a 3% decline, Wales fell 5%, and Northern Ireland dropped 1%.
For retailers, the challenge is not only attracting shoppers into stores but also converting fewer visits into sales. As consumers become more selective, businesses are focusing on making physical shopping trips more relevant and valuable.
The latest data suggests that UK retail footfall is recovering from earlier weakness, but extreme weather and fragile consumer confidence remain significant factors shaping shopping patterns.
