Footfall up to 10am across all UK destinations up 218.2% week on week; hundreds queue outside Birmingham’s Primark.
Non-essential retail across England has re-opened today (12 April), with data from Springboard showing that footfall up to 10am across all UK destinations was up +218.2% week on week.
Shopping centres saw the biggest rise – +339.7% – while footfall on high streets was +232.8% and retail parks increased by +58.2%, reported The Industry.Fashion.
Footfall across all UK destinations up to 10am on Monday 12 April, compared to Monday 13 April, 2020, was up a huge +505.1%.
Week on week, Central London saw footfall rise +230.4% (up to 10am), while coastal towns saw a rise of 176.2%, historic towns jumped +199% and market towns saw an increase of +354.6%.
Hundreds of people queued outside the world’s largest Primark store in Birmingham, the BBC reported, with the store opening its doors at 7am.
The fast fashion retailer is encouraging shoppers to ‘press play on summer’, saying it is ‘delighted’ to be back open and welcoming customers once again.
Retailers in Scotland are due to open from 26 April, while an announcement on a re-opening date for those in Northern Ireland is expected in the coming days.
“While we expect an initial surge in spending when shops first open, the real test will be how this holds up,” commented Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium. “Many of us will be looking forward to returning to our favourite shop in the coming weeks, and we all have a duty to keep each other safe.
“Everyone should be considerate and respectful to their fellow shoppers and hard-working shop staff. This way we can all enjoy shopping and support our local communities.”
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