Wet February leads to plunge in shopping trips

Shopping visits across the UK fell in February as wet weather kept consumers at home, figures show.

Total UK footfall was down 4.7% year on year, a plunge from January’s 0.6% decrease, according to British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic data.

Shopping centres saw a 5.5% fall while high street footfall was down 5.4%.

London was among the weaker performers, recording its steepest drop in footfall since April 2024.

Footfall decreased year-on-year across all nations, down 2.3% in Northern Ireland, 3% in Scotland, 5% in England and 5.8% in Wales.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “One of the wettest Februarys on record saw shoppers shy away from in-store visits last month.

“Footfall was down across all locations, with high streets and shopping centres hit hardest – a blow felt most keenly by clothing and footwear retailers.”

Andy Sumpter, from Sensormatic, said: “February proved a more challenging month for UK retail, with footfall slipping further into decline and reversing the tentative progress seen in January.

“Exceptionally heavy rainfall – well above the seasonal average – kept shoppers away from high streets and retail destinations, driving a natural shift towards online shopping as consumers chose convenience and shelter from the downpours.

“Economic pressures added an extra layer of strain. Continued food price inflation and rising unemployment continued to weigh on household budgets, making both discretionary trips and discretionary spending easier to delay.”