Weather, sports and concerts: What are the factors affecting summer retail footfall in the UK?

Headline figures

• Retail footfall in the UK declined by 1.4% year on year across all destinations in June in what MRI described as a “dismal start” to the summer season due to wet weather

• Annual high street footfall in June was 2.3% below 2023 levels, shopping centres saw a 1.3% decline and retail parks inched up 0.5%

• However, monthly footfall rose 2.7% from May to June as shopping centres saw a 3.8% increase in footfall, high street footfall was lifted 3.1% and retail parks saw a 0.7% lift

• Footfall improved in the second half of June driven by the men’s Euros, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour coming to the UK and warmer weather

• Retail could be in for a quiet summer as MRI Software’s Consumer Pulse survey showed 46.5% of shoppers plan to go abroad this year, with July and August being popular months for holidays

Weather dampens footfall

MRI Software marketing and insights director Jenni Matthews says there are a couple of reasons why June footfall saw the first annual decline since 2019.

One contributing factor is that footfall is now stabilising post-pandemic and returning to normal levels, but a damp start to the summer has played its part.

“It’s probably been the first June for a while where we have had such a poor start to the summer with rain and storms, with footfall only picking up in the second half of the month,” she says.

Worse-than-average weather certainly impacted footfall at the beginning of June as MRI data revealed a week-on-week decline, averaging a 3.5% drop in all UK retail destinations.

Matthews adds that retail parks are often better off when bad weather occurs due to offering parking and an enclosed shopping environment.

Events boost

The gloomy weather did not persist throughout the whole month, however. In the second half of June, warmer weather, the Euros and Taylor Swift’s Eras tour have provided a big boost to retail footfall.

The third week of June saw UK high street footfall surge by 7.3% from the week before.

Welsh high streets benefited from the Taylor Swift concert in Cardiff, with an 11.4% lift week on week, while central London saw a 16.3% rise for the same period.

The England vs Denmark football match also had a “noticeable impact” on high streets and the evening economy, with footfall rising by 25% from 2pm to 11pm that day.

“Retailers need to be aware of what events are taking place and how they can capitalise on them,” Matthews says.

“If retailers are aware that restaurants are doing things, they could look to extend their opening hours on the evenings of events as not everyone will be interested in watching football.

“For those that aren’t, there’s the choice to go shopping if they want to.”

How retailers can prepare for the rest of summer

The summer of sport continues into July with the Euros football tournament, Wimbledon tennis championships and the Paris Olympic Games all taking place.

Taylor Swift is also due to return to Wembley for a five-day stint in August, which Matthews says MRI will be monitoring.

She says retailers should prepare for such events and stock up on supplies if they expect a surge of shoppers over those dates.

“This is where retailers can work with local businesses and find out what they’re doing to see if there are any promotions or evening showings of sports and events,” she says.

“If there are, retailers can adjust opening hours, adjust staffing schedules and look at how events can attract footfall, rather than detract from it.”

While the weather is expected to heat up in July, MRI Software’s Consumer Pulse survey shows that many consumers are planning to go abroad during the summer and Matthews says it’s important that retailers plan for this.

“Retailers need to keep on top of trends and behaviours,” she says. 

“If retailers anticipate less footfall, they can check historical footfall trends and plan accordingly for demand.”

It is hard to predict how the rest of the summer will pan out due to unpredictable weather and consumers choosing trips abroad. However, a summer of sport and popular music events will no doubt bring some much-needed footfall to UK high streets.