Retailers suffer ‘sharp decline’ in footfall
Retail footfall took a dive in September as shoppers stayed away from shopping centres, prompting calls for the Chancellor to slash taxes for high street firms. In September, the UK’s total retail footfall fell by 2.9 per cent, far worse than the 1.7 per cent decline recorded in the month prior, according to the British [...]
In September, the UK's total retail footfall saw a sharp decline of 2.9 per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). This represents a significant drop from the 1.7 per cent decrease recorded in the previous month. The decline was particularly severe at shopping centers, where footfall fell by 3.5 per cent, compared to just 0.5 per cent in August.
Retailers are facing a "fight with one hand tied behind their backs" due to the rising tax burden, making it difficult for them to invest in boosting footfall. The BRC attributes the slowdown in footfall to consumers focusing on broader economic concerns, such as inflation, household spending pressures, fuel costs, and uncertainty ahead of the Autumn Budget.
The BRC's chief executive, Helen Dickinson, emphasized that retailers will do their best to attract shoppers with great value and choice, but they need government intervention to reduce the cost of doing business. This could be achieved by limiting further increases in business rates, providing vital investment in shops and high streets, helping retailers keep prices down, and creating jobs across the country.
Written by urgent.news from City AM's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
