UK high streets struggled during heatwave while retail parks stayed resilient

The ongoing heatwave in the UK has completely changed the shopping habits of shoppers. According to MRI Software’s latest Footfall analysis published for the week of June 22-28, the country’s high streets have seen a significant drop in footfall.

UK high street footfall fell by 4.5% week-on-week compared to the previous week. When temperatures peaked on Wednesday, June 24, footfall on high streets fell by 9.4 per cent week-on-week and 12.5% year-on-year. With schools closed and transport disrupted across the country, millions of people felt it best to stay home that day. This has had an impact on the retail market.

Retail parks, on the other hand, have shown great resilience in the face of the adverse weather conditions during the same period. Footfall in these locations has increased by 2.7% week-on-week and 4.4% year-on-year. According to analysts, many shoppers feel comfortable shopping at retail parks even in the scorching heat, thanks to the easy access to retail parks, easy parking and large air-conditioned stores.

In addition to the hot weather, the ongoing World Cup has also played a big role in determining when and where shoppers shop. MRI Software data shows that after a World Cup match in England, shopping centers saw a 6.4% jump in footfall after 8pm. However, this sporting boost varied from day to day. Overall footfall on Saturday was down 2.9% week-on-week and 3.3% year-on-year due to the ongoing heatwave and weekend transport crisis. Instead of heading to shopping hubs, most football fans enjoyed watching the game from the comfort of their homes or local bars.

MRI Software says that the situation of last week has shown how quickly extreme weather can change consumer behavior in the retail market. The impact was particularly strong in office-based areas. Greater London saw a 4.2% week-on-week and 9.2% year-on-year decline in footfall. Central London saw a sharper decline – 6% week-on-week and 11% year-on-year. The heatwave has seen many workers and visitors avoid the city center, with government advice to avoid travelling on the London Underground and non-essential train travel.

Meanwhile, coastal areas saw a 2% week-on-week increase in footfall, as people took advantage of the warmer weather to head to the seaside to escape the heat. This chart from last week clearly shows how quickly extreme weather can change the entire equation of a retail market.