Retail footfall slumps 2.2% in December despite Black Friday and Christmas combo

Less of a decline than in the previous month

Retail footfall figures disappointed in December despite hopes that both Black Friday and Christmas occurring in the same month would provide retailers with a boost.

According to data from the British Retail Consortium (3 January), total UK footfall decreased 2.2% in December, although this was still an improvement from the -4.5% in the previous month. Revised figures show zero UK real GDP growth in Q3 For the last quarter of 2024, footfall decreased by 2.5%, whereas for the year, the figure was 2.2% lower than 2023. Shopping centre footfall saw the biggest drop last month at 3.3%, followed by high street (2.7%), whereas retail park remained unchanged from November. In terms of regions, Northern Ireland suffered the biggest decline at 5.8%, ...