Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and the start of the Euro 2024 championship provided a boost to retail footfall last month as the June weather failed to live up to last year’s heatwave.
Total UK shopper visitors slipped 2.3% last month, up from a decline of 3.6% in May, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported.
High Street’s were the hardest hit destinations falling 3.1% in June, compared to a 2.7% drop the month before.
Shopping Centre footfall decreased 3.2%, up from -4.5% in May, while Retail Park visitor numbers slipped 0.4%, compared to -2.3% in May.
Three out of the four UK nations saw a fall in footfall year-on-year, with Scotland reporting a growth of 0.2% and Wales visitor numbers dropping the largest at -4.1%.
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BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “With June failing to live up to last year’s heatwave, overall footfall declined last month compared to the previous year.
“However retail parks and shopping centres did see an uptick compared to the previous month’s washout, and footfall levels in Edinburgh and Liverpool were boosted as Taylor Swift enchanted crowds of fans.”
“Retailers are hoping that warmer weather and maybe, just maybe, a successful European Championships for England could bring footfall home this July,” she continued.
“As the new government forms today, it is vital that the problems facing local communities are addressed in its first hundred days.”
Dickinson said planning reform must be a “priority” as a fast-track planning system along with a reform of business rates will help town and city centres to thrive”.
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