By Basant El-Faramawy
Total UK shopper footfall fell 4.7% year-on-year in October, a sharper decline than the 2.9% drop recorded in September, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic. Stormy weather and rising household costs combined to deter consumers across all retail destinations.
Regional and destination breakdown
The high street suffered the steepest decline, with visits down 5.2% compared to a 3% fall in September. Retail park footfall dropped 3.6%, while shopping centres saw a 4.1% decrease. Regionally, footfall fell 3.1% in Northern Ireland, 4.3% in Scotland, 4.6% in England, and 6.3% in Wales.
BRC warns of low confidence, calls for safer high streets
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said low consumer confidence driven by rising inflation and high energy costs was a key factor. She noted high streets were hit hardest as stormy weather kept shoppers home or drove them to locations with easy parking. Dickinson urged the government to grant police powers promised in the Crime and Policing Act, including scrapping the £200 threshold for low-level theft, to make high streets safer for shoppers and staff.
Sensormatic notes Halloween uplift, eyes Black Friday
Andy Sumpter, head of consulting and analytics at Sensormatic, said Halloween provided only a brief seasonal uplift. He added that shoppers continue to prioritise essential spending, leaving discretionary retail under pressure despite the start of the Golden Quarter. Attention now turns to the Black Friday period as a critical opportunity to inject momentum.
