Wales sees sharpest fall in shopper footfall as storms and rising costs hit retailers

Nation.Cymru staff/ agencies

Shopper footfall in Wales fell by 6.3% in October compared with a year earlier, the steepest decline of any UK nation.

Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic showed visits to shopping destinations fell across the UK as stormy weather and pressure on household budgets deterred consumers.

The Welsh decline compared with falls of 4.6% in England, 4.3% in Scotland and 3.1% in Northern Ireland.

Across the UK, footfall dropped by 4.7% year-on-year, worsening from September’s 2.9% decline.

High streets suffered the biggest fall among shopping destinations, with visits down 5.2%, compared with a 3% decline in September. Shopping centre footfall fell by 4.1%, while retail parks recorded a 3.6% drop.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Footfall fell sharply in every part of the UK in October.

“Low consumer confidence was likely a key factor in the decline in visitors, as households navigated rising inflation and high energy costs.

“Of all destinations, high streets were hit the hardest, as the stormy weather led many consumers to stay home or use locations with easy parking options.”

Ms Dickinson also called for action to make shopping destinations safer for customers and retail workers, including measures to tackle organised crime and repeat offenders.

The figures come during the final three months of the year, traditionally a crucial trading period for retailers as shoppers prepare for Christmas.

Andy Sumpter, head of consulting and analytics at Sensormatic, said Halloween had provided only a brief improvement.

“Halloween delivered a brief seasonal uplift, but beyond that, retailers found little to celebrate,” he said.

“The month’s performance suggests that shoppers are continuing to prioritise essential spending, leaving discretionary retail expenditure under pressure despite the arrival of the Golden Quarter.”

He said retailers would now be looking to Black Friday to help reverse the slowdown.

“Attention now turns squarely towards the Black Friday period, which increasingly looks like a critical opportunity to inject some momentum into a Golden Quarter that has so far struggled to live up to its name.”