High street benefits as Easter sun draws shoppers

Footfall across all retail destinations was up 6.5% on Friday, 1.2% on Saturday and 8.4% by 12pm on Easter Monday.

The rise on Friday and Saturday reflected visits to high streets. Footfall to retail parks and shopping centres was down on both of those days.

The performance reflects the timing of Easter and the fact that last year bad weather hit trading and footfall was down.

High street retailers also benefited from the fact that big shops shut on Easter Sunday.

High street footfall rose 19.1% on Good Friday and 8.8% on Easter Saturday. Footfall in shopping centres was down 11% on Good Friday and 11.8% on Easter Saturday.

Springboard Insights Director Diane Wehrle said: “Consumers clearly wanted to be outside enjoying the sun rather than visiting covered malls. Even in retail parks, where shoppers gravitate to buy garden furniture and plants, footfall declined on Good Friday and Easter Saturday from the same days last year.”

The Easter performance will be a welcome fillip for retailers.

While footfall rose in March, the latest data showed that the retail industry was “in the midst of a no-splurge culture”.

Shopper footfall was up 1.4% in March, versus a 6% fall in the comparable period last year, but it was down 0.3% on a three-month basis, the BRC-Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor showed.