Despite the recent good weather, visits to retail destinations around the UK fell last month as consumers reined in their spending following recent rises in household bills.
Data from BRC and Sensormatic shows total retail footfall in May slipped 1.7% year-on-year, down nearly nine points from April’s 7.2% rise.
Footfall in retail parks edged up 0.2% last month but fell on high streets (-2.5%) and in shopping centres (-2.3%).
Helen Dickinson, the BRC’s Chief Executive, stated that the downturn was “disappointing” following a promising start to the year. “While stock markets stabilised, higher household bills depressed consumer sentiment and the appetite to visit retail stores,” she said.
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, added: “Despite the warm and sunny weather – more typical of peak summer than late spring – footfall didn’t quite follow suit, suggesting that consumers may have favoured outdoor leisure over shopping. Still, May’s result is a marked improvement on the -3.6% seen in the same month last year and reflects a more stable trend in 2025 overall.
“Encouragingly, consumer sentiment has shown signs of improvement, with more shoppers feeling optimistic about their personal finances and the wider economy. Notwithstanding ongoing cost pressures, retailers will be looking to make hay while the sun shines – focusing on the right mix of experience, value, and convenience to convert seasonal footfall into sustained growth.”
Separate data released by the BRC earlier this week showed that the value of retail sales rose by an annual rate of just 1% in May, the lowest rate this year and well below the average of 2.5% over the last five months.
