29th Nov 2024 05:54
(Alliance News) - UK retail footfall eased in November amid stormy weather and low consumer confidence, figures on Friday showed, with the decline exacerbated by the later timing of Black Friday.
According to British Retail Consortium-Sensormatic data, total UK footfall decreased by 4.5% in November year-on-year, down from a 1.1% decline in October. The survey covers the four weeks to November 23.
Shopping centre footfall slumped 6.1% in November, down from a 1.6% decrease in October. Retail park footfall also decreased by 1.1%, swung from a 4.8% increase in October. High street footfall fell 3.7%, down slightly from a 3.6% fall in October.
The later timing of Black Friday meant that it does not fall into this month's figures, but it is included in last year's data. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, which was on Thursday.
"Footfall took a disappointing tumble in November, as a later-than-usual Black Friday and low consumer confidence meant customers were hesitant to hit the shops.
"Some northern cities also suffered particularly badly due to Storm Bert, which caused travel disruption towards the end of the month," BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson commented.
Sensormatic analyst Andy Sumpter said tepid data "will have come as a blow for many retailers", as post-budget consumer confidence jitters may have caused customers to delay festive purchases.
"Now, all eyes turn to December, where retailers hope to make up for lost ground and turn around their festive fortunes. This will rely not only on effective merchandising and shored-up inventory availability, but on building the compelling and immersive experiences that bring the seasonal magic to life in-store," Sumpter added.
Numbers on Tuesday showed the pace of retail price falls slowed in November. Shop prices declined 0.6% in the year to November, slower than 0.8% for October. This is the first time in 17 months that the inflation rate was higher than a month earlier, according to data from the BRC and NielsenIQ.
By Michael Hennessey, Alliance News reporter
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