Retailers in Wales have reported a sharp rise in footfall although remaining well below pre-pandemic levels.
Figures for February from the Welsh Retail Consortium show, compared with a year earlier, footfall up 14.9%. The improvement reported across the high street and shopping centres was the second highest of any nation or region of the UK - behind only London which experienced a 15.8% rise. For the UK as a whole the rise was 10.4% year-on-year. For Scotland it was 14.5%, North Ireland 12.7%, and England 11.8%.
Based on cities Cardiff was ranked fifth best for growth in the UK at 12.2%, only behind Edinburgh (22.7%), Glasgow (16.7%), London (15.8%) and Belfast (12.7%).
Compared with pre-pandemic (2019) footfall in Wales remains 10% lower, with shopping centres down 32.8%. Cardiff remains 13.4% lower.
Head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, Sara Jones, said: “Shopper footfall across Welsh retail destinations perked up further last month compared to the year before, encouraging news for the sector at what remains a challenging time given the costs crunch afflicting households and businesses. Visits to stores was up almost 15% on the same month last year, with Wales recording the best footfall figures of the UK nations. However, this was hugely flattered by the weak comparable period twelve months ago, when Welsh stores were still heavily under Covid restrictions and when consumer confidence was at a low.”
“That said, footfall remains 10% down on pre-pandemic levels and its recovery remains protracted. The health of the Welsh economy is highly dependent on what happens to consumer spending, and this will be tested further in the coming months as inflation and household energy bills remains elevated.
“Our industry is facing a number of regulatory challenges which will see spiralling cost heaped on retailers who are facing ever-increasing operational cost pressures. We are calling for a moratorium on any new regulation until the sector has fully recovered, allowing some much-needed breathing space to build resilience. And we need decision makers to inject some positivity into the sector through its eagerly awaited industry action plan, a plan which could generate the sustained action needed to entice shoppers back to our retail destinations and excite retailers about the prospect of future growth.”
Andy Sumpter,a retail consultant with Sensormatic Solutions, which conducted research, said: “Facing multidirectional headwinds – from the long shadow cast by Covid to the ongoing consumer caution caused by the rising cost-of-living – we are, at least, starting to see footfall normalising.
“While the fluctuations between footfall are now less volatile, creating a new baseline against which to benchmark high street performance, it doesn’t mean the footfall recovery has yet fully turned a corner. Retailers are still grappling with underlying uncertainty as they try to keep pace in the context of these multifaceted challenges. Looking ahead, delivering value – whether that’s through ranging or by giving shoppers compelling reasons to visit stores – will remain central to turning the tide on footfall performance.”
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