Wales sees steepest drop in shopping trips across UK after wet February

Wales recorded the sharpest fall in shopping visits anywhere in the UK last month as persistent wet weather kept consumers away from high streets and retail centres.

Footfall in Wales fell 5.8% year-on-year in February, the largest decline of any UK nation, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic.

Across the UK as a whole, retail footfall dropped 4.7% compared with February last year, a sharp downturn from the 0.6% fall recorded in January.

High streets and shopping centres were hit hardest as unusually heavy rainfall discouraged shoppers from travelling to retail destinations.

Shopping centre visits across the UK fell 5.5%, while high street footfall declined 5.4% year-on-year.

By comparison, shopping visits dropped 5% in England, 3% in Scotland, and 2.3% in Northern Ireland.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said the poor weather had played a major role in keeping shoppers away.

She said:

“One of the wettest Februarys on record saw shoppers shy away from in-store visits last month.

“Footfall was down across all locations, with high streets and shopping centres hit hardest – a blow felt most keenly by clothing and footwear retailers.”

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant at Sensormatic, said February had reversed the tentative improvement seen at the start of the year.

Challenging

He said: “February proved a more challenging month for UK retail, with footfall slipping further into decline and reversing the tentative progress seen in January.

“Exceptionally heavy rainfall – well above the seasonal average – kept shoppers away from high streets and retail destinations, driving a natural shift towards online shopping as consumers chose convenience and shelter from the downpours.”

He added that economic pressures were also weighing on household spending, with rising food prices and unemployment continuing to affect consumer confidence and discretionary shopping trips.