Shopper numbers up in April

Shopper numbers were up in April, but there's still no reason to be optimistic, according to the latest SPSL figures.

The SPSL Retail Traffic Index (RTI) for April showed a 1.4 per cent rise year-on-year and a 10.1 per cent increase on March. However, this is thought to be simply a reflection of the shift in Easter from March to April this year.

SPSL director of knowledge management Tim Denison said: 'If we combine March and April's footfall figure, the RTI is down 4.7 per cent year on year, showing the downward trend in shopper numbers remains unchanged.'

Central London continues to buck the national trend, with booming house prices thought to be partly responsible for a 14 per cent increase in shopper numbers in April and a 9 per cent rise in March and April. The rest of the Southeast continues to suffer a decline.