Retail ready for footfall bounce from mid April

Retail expert Springboard is predicting a 47.9% jump when non-essential retail and outdoor hospitality re-opens in England, as consumers look for ‘sensory and social retail experiences’.

Retail expert Springboard is predicting that footfall will bounce back across all areas of retail from mid April when restrictions begin to be lifted.

The company believes footfall across the UK will jump 47.9% when non-essential retail and outdoor hospitality re-open on 12 April in England, reported The Industry.Fashion.

It predicts that high streets will see the largest rise in footfall – +59% – followed by shopping centres with +46% and retail parks with +26%.

The mid-April reopening will also see footfall across all UK retail destinations rise by +128.5% in comparison to the same week in 2020. It will still be -61% below the 2019 level, however.

At the end of the first two lockdowns, footfall rose by more than 40% in the first week, according to Springboard. This figure is expected to be greater this time around due to the success of the vaccination programme, with shoppers likely to feel safer visiting retail destinations.

“As we approach the 12-month mark since the start of the pandemic in the UK, lockdown fatigue is at its height and the increases in footfall over the last five weeks have indicated the pent-up demand for a return to normality,” commented Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard. “We know from when non-essential retail reopened at the end of Lockdowns 1 in June, and 2 in December, that footfall will rise sharply, and we anticipate this will be more prominent than ever before with a rise of up to +47.9%.

“By mid-April, consumers will be looking for sensory and social retail experiences, reconnecting with their favourite brands and purchasing new wardrobes for a summer of social events. We are anticipating a strong initial uplift in April that will continue to rise over the summer months as the economy reopens in the UK.”