Retail footfall across the UK slumped to an all-time low in March as the impact of the coronavirus lockdown hit the high street hard.
Shopper numbers across all retail destinations tumbled 41.3% year on year in March, according to Springboard.
As the effects of the government shutdown in the UK began to take effect towards the end of the month, the final three weeks of March saw footfall drop 61.5%, reaching a staggering 81.4% fall in the final week of the month.
Springboard said these were “by far” the lowest footfall figures since it began collating and publishing this data since 2009.
Over the recent Easter weekend, Springboard said the 83.1% reduction in usual footfall showed the UK had heeded government advice to stay at home and save lives.
While all retail destinations have suffered, Springboard said that over the course of March footfall to out of town retail parks fell 15% less than high streets and shopping centres and said it was “inevitable” that such destinations will fare better as the lockdown continues.
Insights director at Springboard Diane Wehrle said: “It is likely that even when we are in recovery, the psychological impact of the pandemic will linger with social distancing continuing to be the new normal for some time to come. If this were to be the case, retail parks and the space they offer will be a favoured destination for many.
“In the meantime, as the lockdown is likely to continue for some weeks, Britons will remember the role retail staff across grocery, pharmacy and everyday essentials stores played in March 2020 and beyond in keeping it possible for families and households to continue to shop during such troubling times.”
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