Figures down 4.6 per cent on last year
The number of shoppers on the high street has fallen for the eighth consecutive week, with 4.6 per cent fewer people shopping than at the same time last year.

The latest retail footfall index from market data company FootFall also found that UK department stores were seeing 4.1 per cent fewer visitors than in the week to October 15 last year.

FootFall spokeswoman Natasha Burton said: 'The sustained downturn in shopper activity is likely to continue over forthcoming days, but we would expect to see an improvement in the number of people visiting retail destinations over the half-term period while they hit the shops trying to entertain their children and also to prepare for Halloween.'

She added that Halloween last year saw the number of shoppers rise 13 per cent on the previous week, but that the same surge may not be experienced this year due to unpredictable weather and early Christmas shoppers.

Burton also said that retailers had 'a lot of work to do' to ensure Christmas marketing campaigns were successful in attracting shoppers.

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