Rain dampens high street footfall figures
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Footfall fell in July for the first time in 14 years as an uncharacteristically wet month discouraged shoppers from heading out.
Overall footfall fell by 0.3%, the first time the figure has declined in July since 2009, according to analysis firm Springboard.
High streets were the worst affected, however shopping centres and retail parks saw an increase in the number of visitors due to their overhead cover and parking provisions.
Springboard said that along with the rain, cost-of-living pressures and rail strikes were also factors which had an impact on the number of high street shoppers.
High streets in coastal areas were particularly affected, seeing a drop in footfall of 4.6% as day-trippers were deterred from visits to the beach.
However, some sectors have benefitted from the wet weather, such as cinemas, which saw a spike in sales in July. Vue saw its cinemas’ revenue increase 36% year-on-year, and 56% against June.
However much of this success may be attributed to the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, which saw the release of box office hits Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day.
Springboard director Diane Wehrle has warned that a subsidence in bad weather may not spell a return to the norm for retailers, as customers begin to shift their focus towards saving for Christmas.
“It is inevitable that consumers’ attention will now turn towards planning for Christmas spending, which may well dampen footfall further in the latter part of the summer,” she said.