Welsh retail footfall showed a month-on-month rise in August.
According to WRC-Sensormatic IQ data:
- Welsh footfall decreased by 1.8% in August (YoY), up from -3.2% in July. This is slightly worse than the UK average decrease of 0.4% (YoY).
- Shopping Centre footfall decreased by 5.2% in August (YoY) in Wales, thus was similar to July’s -5.4%.
- In August, footfall in Cardiff decreased by -4.1% (YoY), down slightly from -3.9% in July.
Sara Jones, Head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said:
“The number of Welsh shopper visits improved for the fourth consecutive month, with August figures showing a further month-on-month uptick in footfall since the depths witnessed of April. Whilst the number remains down on the preceding year there is a clear upward trajectory that will no doubt provide a boost for Welsh retailers. Back to school shopping, big ticket concerts and sporting events and great value offers will have driven the figures to an improved position during August.
“Cardiff remained an outlier when it came to shopper figures this month, going against the national trend with a small decline in visitors, in part a likely result of the riots in other parts of the UK and concerns they could spread.
“All eyes will be on September’s footfall with the anticipation that we could see five months of continued growth but, with the cash constraint warning given by the Prime Minister ahead of his Autumn Budget, the position remains perilous given the potential impact on household disposable incomes. In Wales, we’ll be seeking growth measures in the upcoming Welsh budget which will boost retail and inject confidence into the sector, whilst shunning anything that adds to the pressures on household finances.”
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, said:
“Despite the unrest at the beginning of the month in other parts of the UK, a strong footfall performance in the second half of August, helped by an easing of price inflation, fair weather and a boost from school and bank holiday trade, saw year-on-year shopper traffic rise to its highest level since March. With all destination types improving on July’s visitor numbers, retailers will be hoping that the resilience seen in August, with footfall getting closer to returning a positive year-on-year performance, will lead to longer-term growth for store traffic.”
