UK retail footfall fell 1.8% year on year in September, reversing August’s milder decline, as shoppers grew more cautious ahead of the government’s Autumn Budget.
High streets saw the sharpest drop at 2.5%, with shopping centres down 2.0% and retail parks proving more resilient at -0.8%.
The five-week period ran from 31 August to 4 October 2025, capturing the back-to-school lift as well as late-period disruption from severe weather.
Footfall fell across all UK nations, led by Wales (-2.5%), Scotland (-2.3%), England (-1.8%) and Northern Ireland (-0.5%), according to the BRC-Sensormatic Footfall Monitor.
High street footfall softens as travel disruption and storms bite
“Low consumer confidence ahead of a potential tax-rising Budget kept many shoppers away,” said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, noting London Tube strikes and heavy rain weighed on visits.
A series of walkouts hit the Underground from 5–12 September, limiting travel into central areas and dampening high street activity.
The monitoring period concluded as Storm Amy brought damaging winds and rail disruption across the UK on 3–4 October, further curbing late-period shopper traffic.
The Met Office named Amy on 1 October, issuing warnings before the storm moved through the UK and Ireland; widespread transport problems and power outages were reported as it hit.
Retail parks remain comparatively resilient in shopper footfall
“Retail parks continued to show resilience at -0.8%, while high streets and shopping centres dipped,” said Andy Sumpter, EMEA retail consultant at Sensormatic.
He added that the month started with a modest back-to-school uplift before momentum “was quickly disrupted” by strikes and stormy weather.
The BRC-Sensormatic series has recently shown retail parks outperforming other locations, with August upturns on high streets giving way to September softness as consumer sentiment cooled.
Budget uncertainty and business rates dominate retail backdrop
Dickinson argued that retailers’ ability to invest in local communities and high streets has been constrained by higher operating costs, urging the government to ease “imposed cost burdens” and deliver a meaningful reduction in business rates in the forthcoming Budget.
The Autumn Budget is scheduled for 26 November, with business groups and economists flagging limited fiscal headroom and the likelihood of targeted revenue measures.
“As we move into Q4, the opportunity lies in converting caution into confidence — for those who can deliver value, experience and convenience,” Sumpter said.
