Shopper footfall suffers amid record-breaking temperatures

Nation.Cymru staff

Wales saw the sharpest decline in shopper numbers anywhere in the UK last month as record-breaking temperatures kept many consumers away from stores.

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic show footfall fell more sharply in Wales than in England, Scotland or Northern Ireland during May.

Shopper numbers in Wales were down 5% compared with the same month last year. The decline was significantly worse than elsewhere in the UK, with England recording a 3% fall and Northern Ireland a 1% drop, while Scotland was the only nation to see an increase, with footfall up 0.4%.

Across the UK as a whole, shopper numbers fell by 2.6% during May.

According to the BRC, warm weather at the start of the month initially encouraged consumers to visit shops, but record-breaking temperatures towards the end of May led to a sharp decline in footfall.

Shopping centres and retail parks were hardest hit, with visits to shopping centres down 2.4%. High streets proved more resilient, recording a smaller decline of 1.5%.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “While the 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, particularly at shopping centres and retail parks.

“Only high streets bucked the trend, as those who were out and about took the opportunity to pop into their local stores.”