UK High Streets see Easter weekend boost

Footfall on UK High Streets increased 1.2 per cent over the Easter weekend this year, cementing the extended bank holiday as the most anticipated weekend for retailers after Christmas, according to Springboard.

The figures follow an uplift in monthly footfall in March (1.3 per cent) – the first since August last year. Despite overall UK footfall being down 2.0 per cent for Good Friday to Easter Sunday, retailers were looking to finish the bank holiday on a positive note, with Springboard recording a 3.4 per cent footfall increase at 12pm on Easter Monday.

Online transactions increased 12.4 per cent on Good Friday compared with last year, while Easter Saturday saw online transactions decline 4.4 per cent in line with the increase in High Street footfall. Mobile transactions fuelled online activity, with a 9.9 per cent rise in transactions compared with just 2.5 per cent on tablets, while PC transactions declined 12.7 per cent year-on-year.

The trend for increased footfall outside of retail hours continues, indicating food and beverage outlets are a key driver of shopper footfall. On Good Friday, footfall dropped 8.2 per cent between 9am and 5pm, year-on-year, but after 5pm dropped just 1.3 per cent. On Easter Saturday, footfall increased 1.3 per cent between 9am and 5pm and a further 18.9 per cent post-5pm.

Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, commented: “The results to date are in part due to the shift in weather compared to last year; in 2016 Good Friday was exceptionally warm and sunny – better than this year – but it was windy and rainy for the rest of the weekend, compared to this year’s sunny and mild weather.

“High Streets have led the surge in footfall across the UK this Easter due to their adaptability and diverse hospitality offering, which supports their ability to respond to trends more quickly than retail parks and shopping centres.”

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