Footfall across all UK retail destinations fell by 3% in April compared with April last year, according to the latest data from MRI Software.
Shopping centre activity fell by 4.7% year-on-year and there was a 2.4% decline in footfall in retail parks and high streets. The company said the decline was largely due to the Easter holiday, disruption caused by train strikes and poor weather conditions.
Although footfall was down in April year-on-year, it rose by 1.2% across all retail destinations compared with figures recorded in March. This was driven by a 3.2% rise in high streets versus marginal declines in retail parks (-0.7%) and shopping centres (-0.9%).
The London Marathon, which took place at the end of last month, highlighted the positive influence major sporting events can have on towns and cities across the UK, with footfall in the capital rising 5% week-on-week on Saturday 20 April and by 9.6% on Sunday 21 April.
This largely benefited leisure and hospitality businesses post-event as footfall rose by 16.5% after 5pm when compared with the same time period in the week before, and by 7% year-on-year.
