NEWS
Footfall figures ‘bounce back’ in July
T
otal UK footfall increased by 1.8 per cent year-on-year in July, up from a decline of 1.9 per cent in June, according to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic IQ. High streets saw the highest increase of the retail locations monitored between 2 and 29 July, with a year-on-year increase of 1.6 per cent compared to just 0.6 per cent the previous month. Shopping centres had a slim 0.2 per cent increase against July 2022, although this was an improvement compared with a rather steep decline of 4.2 per cent in June. Then, retail parks saw a 1.4 per cent increase in July, compared with a 2.6 per cent decline in June. Scotland saw the highest year-on-year increase in footfall of all the UK nations at 5.9 per cent; Edinburgh experienced a bumper shopping month, with footfall up 12.8 per cent compared to July last year! In England figures rose by 1.8 per cent; London saw shopper numbers jump by 3.5 per cent.
Wales was the only nation to see a decline in year-on-year footfall, at 0.1 per cent. Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “The rainy start to the Summer holidays drove many people off
the streets and into the shops, in contrast to last year’s heatwave, which kept people outside in the sun.”
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, added that footfall saw “a bounce back” into positive figures in July, reversing the slowdown experienced in May and June.
However, he noted: “While retailers will welcome the uptick in shopper traffic, it will be with a sense of practical positivity. Many will be mindful they continue to serve a cost-of-living consumer, who remains cautious. Our data shows that much of the footfall recovery in July was shored up by strong performance in outlet retail, as shoppers turn to discount formats to make spend go further.”
Warm June gives UK sales a boost U
Raising money for the Footwear Industry Trust
Mark Jeffery, a Trustee of the Footwear Industry Trust, will be running the Great North Run to raise much needed funds for the Trust. On 10 September, Mr Jeffery will be taking on the gruelling 13.1 mile course from Newcastle to South Shields.
K retail sales grew faster than expected in June, despite continued high inflation. Sales volumes were 0.7 per cent higher last month compared to May, which is a bigger increase than the 0.2 per cent that economists forecast.
This is according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which also reported that non-food stores sales volumes rose by one per cent in June, following a fall of 0.5 per cent in May. The figures measure the amount bought, in volume, rather than the amount spent. Clothing and fashion stores sales volumes, however, fell by 0.4 per cent and were 1.5 per cent below pre-pandemic levels in February 2020.
Last month was the hottest June in Britain in modern records. And the latest BRC-Sensormatic IQ report showed that high street footfall increased from May as shoppers opted to enjoy the outdoors. As a result, they left their computers at home – clothing and footwear stores saw a decline of 5.9 per cent in online sales between May and June. Overall, online spending values (as a proportion of the retail sector) fell by 0.5 per cent.
Responding to the ONS figures, Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said that June’s sunshine gave retail sales growth a boost as customers readied themselves for Summer…
“Nonetheless, consumer confidence remains fragile, and with households feeling the pinch from high inflation and rising interest rates, they held back on making big ticket purchases, especially in areas such as electricals.
“Retailers are hopeful that consumer confidence will improve over the coming months as inflation eases. Falling inflation rates are a clear sign that competition is bringing down prices wherever cost pressures ease. While retailers are doing their bit, Government has a role to play in bringing inflation down.”
8 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • AUGUST 2023
The Trust said that this is a charity by the trade, for the trade. The Footwear Industry Trust is passionate not only about helping those in need, but also about reaching out and reconnecting footwear professionals with their peers.
There are so many ways you can support the Footwear Industry Trust, whether you’re doing a fun run, organising a bake sale or simply helping spread the word of the work it is doing. It’s the members of the footwear community who the Trust supports and its mission is to help as many of those in need as it possibly can.
For more information, visit
footwearindustrytrust.org/get-involved.
Earlier this year, the name of the Footwear Industry Trust was rebranded from Footwear Friends, which was originally founded in 1836 as the Benevolent Society of Master Boot and Shoemakers.
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