Heatwave conditions continued to weigh on shopper footfall in July, with high streets particularly affected, according to new figures.
Total UK footfall fell 2.1% year-on-year, though this was an improvement on the 3.4% decline recorded in June, data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic showed.
High streets and shopping centres see declines
High street footfall dropped 3.8% year-on-year in July, up from June's 6.2% fall. Shopping centre footfall also declined, down 1.4% year-on-year, although this was better than June's 2.5% drop.
England recorded the weakest performance of any UK nation, with overall footfall down 3%. London saw a 5.3% decline, highlighting the challenges facing larger urban centres during periods of extreme heat, Sensormatic said.
Retailers respond to climate change
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: "The heatwave continued to bear down on retail footfall in July, with high streets worst affected."
She added: "London was hit particularly hard as soaring temperatures made tube and train travel less attractive, with some commuters and shoppers opting to stay home."
Dickinson noted that despite the decline, it was still an improvement on the previous month's figures, when record-breaking sunshine saw footfall fall by an even bigger margin.
She said: "Climate change continues to deliver more and more extreme temperatures in the UK. Retailers are responding by investing in both mitigations – such as more air conditioning and more efficient refrigeration units – and in sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Unfortunately, business rates often punish stores for such investments, showing the need for government to look again at this broken system."
Outlook for retailers
Andy Sumpter from Sensormatic said six of the first seven months of this year performed worse than the same period last year.
He said: "The exceptionally hot and historically dry weather is likely to have been a significant factor, discouraging shopping trips and particularly impacting high streets."
Sumpter added: "While the UK has yet another new prime minister, retail is yet to experience any meaningful 'Burnham bounce'. For retailers, the focus remains on converting these more selective visits into meaningful spend as the summer progresses."
