Shopper footfall drops as Scots prepare for cost of living crisis, figures show

The surging cost of living and bad weather could have been behind a fall in the number of people visiting stores as footfall remains well behind levels seen before Covid-19 lockdowns, experts say.

Footfall fell by 17.5% in February compared to the same month in 2020, which is 1.3% worse than the month before, with Scotland seeing the steepest decline of all four UK nations.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), said it was an “underwhelming and disappointing performance” for Scotland’s stores.

Shopping centre footfall fell by 31.2% in February compared to 2020, which was better than the fall of 36.6% the month before and the first monthly improvement since autumn, SRC said.

Footfall in Glasgow dropped by 19% last month when compared to before the pandemic, 1.4% worse than in January.

Mr Lonsdale said: “Concerns about the cost of living and even the bleak weather in the second half of the month could well have exerted a downward pressure on visits to stores.

“However, these figures do underline the protracted nature of the recovery and the need for concerted action and a more upbeat message from policy makers in the short-term to encourage and entice shoppers back.

“After all, much of our wider economy is ultimately dependent on what happens to consumer spending.”

But the UK is seeing the best rebounds in the number of people walking though shop doors, with it leading the top five European markets.

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant for Sensormatic Solutions, said it suggests a “collective growing confidence among shoppers”.

He said: “With UK governments announcing the further easing and ending of Covid restrictions, this represents what many, not least retailers, hope will be the ‘beginning of the end’ of the Covid crisis – our latest data shows consumer concern about in-store safety fell by -18 percentage points year-on-year – however, shoppers now face new and growing pressures.

“The cost of living squeeze and inflation, which is putting downward pressures on disposable income, and a volatile macroeconomic and geopolitical climate could create a perfect storm of uncertainty for consumers, which could still impact the long-term retail recovery as it looks to build back post-pandemic.”

The average UK footfall decline for February when compared to pre-pandemic levels was 14.9%.

England saw a fall of 14.4%, Northern Ireland suffered a drop of 15.5%, and Wales saw 17.1% fewer shoppers through the doors when compared to February 2020.