Figures for the week ending February 19 were up nearly 9 per cent on the previous week, but were down nearly 7 per cent compared with the year before, according to retail analyst FootFall.
FootFall marketing manager Natasha Burton said: 'While Valentine's Day provided some relief for retailers, there is still a lot of work to done before high street shopper numbers reach those of early 2005.
'The size of the year-on-year fall may partly be because of the half-term holidays being staggered across two weeks in different parts of the UK, though it is also indicative of the reduced consumer confidence levels we've seen this year.'
However, department stores fared better, reporting a 15 per cent uplift in visitors for the week compared with the week before, because of successful Valentine's Day marketing campaigns, said the report.
But year-on-year visitor numbers were still down by 0.6 per cent compared with last year.
FootFall predicts that a continuation of 'the high-profile introduction of spring 2006 product ranges is likely to help the stores maintain the momentum in recent weeks'.
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