Shoppers stay at home as cold snap bites
Shopper numbers fell 0.2 per cent week on week for the February 27 to March 5 period, and 8 per cent year on year, according to the Retail Footfall Index.

The department store sector experienced a 1.1 per cent weekly fall and a 2.3 per cent year-on-year drop.

The latest figures, from retail analyst FootFall, show that the number of people visiting retail destinations has returned to the levels reported before the half-term boost, with the national year-on-year gap widening.

'After a period of remarkable trading performance, the department store index is also now following the national trend, with the number of shoppers heading to department store locations down by more than 2 per cent compared to last year,' said marketing manager Natasha Burton.

'The cold weather has played a significant role. February 2006 was the coldest for a decade and discouraged many shoppers from venturing out,' she added.

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