Retail footfall in Wales has continued to rise after latest figures showed a continued growth trajectory, although remaining well below pre-pandemic levels. Data for March from the Welsh Retail Consortium shows that, compared with the previous year, footfall increased by 9.1%.
This was the second highest of any nation or region of the UK - behind only Scotland which experienced a 12% rise. For the UK as a whole, the rise was 6.8% year-on-year. For England it was 6.5% and Northern Ireland 7%.
Based on cities, Cardiff was ranked fourth best for growth in the UK at 6.8% year-on-year, only behind Edinburgh (24.4%), Glasgow (11.9%), and London (7.8%). Compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, total Welsh footfall remains 9.3% lower, with shopping centres down 28.5%. Cardiff remains 11.6% lower.
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Sara Jones, head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said: “Footfall in Wales continued its growth trajectory compared to the previous year, with shopper numbers up by almost a tenth on last year. However, this is slower growth compared to February’s figures, and overall shopper foot-traffic remains well down on pre-pandemic levels, indicating there is some way to go before we see sustained recovery.
“The cost-of-living crunch, and factors such as the ongoing strikes, continue to bear down on the industry and act as a barrier to consumer confidence and spending. As we await the launch of the Welsh Government’s imminent retail action plan, which has the potential to be a real enabler for the industry, we continue to press the case for sensible and pragmatic decision making when it comes to the onslaught of regulation and legislation in the pipeline which is disproportionately affecting retail.
“Retailers are playing their part in trying to tempt shoppers however Welsh Ministers and local authorities need to continue to support the industry and retail destinations over the coming months and consider what more can be done to entice and stimulate shoppers to return. With the Easter period, and upcoming bank holidays, retailers will be hoping that April footfall will put a spring in the sector’s step.”
Retail consultant for Sensormatic Solutions Andy Sumpter said: ““Shopper traffic counts in March saw an improvement on last year, which is no small feat given the backdrop of ongoing cost-of-living pressures, stubbornly high inflation and strike disruptions continuing to simmer away. Retail parks remained the outlier, with a slightly more suppressed recovery due to their tenant mix of predominantly furniture, kitchen and bed retail outlets, as shoppers expressed spending caution and held off purchasing big ticket items.
“While the retail footfall recovery slowed marginally last month compared to pre-pandemic levels, we continue to see shopper numbers continue to normalise and the ebbs and flows in performance are becoming less pronounced. We also see, perhaps as a consequence of hybrid working becoming the norm, the significance of the weekend rising, leaving Friday and Monday trailing behind.”
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