A “drab” December has capped a disappointing year for retailers and the second in a row of falling shopper numbers, figures show.
And Northern Ireland was the worst hit region, according to British Retail Consortium research.
Even the Golden Quarter, typically the peak of shopping activity ahead of Christmas, provided little relief, with shopper visits down 2.5% over the period on 2023, according to the BRC-Sensormatic Footfall Monitor. Total UK footfall over the year was down 2.2% on the year before.
Northern Ireland experienced the biggest decline at 5.8%, followed by Wales, down 2.6%, England (2.1%) and Scotland (1.5%).
High streets and shopping centres were hit particularly hard throughout the year as people veered towards retail parks to take advantage of free parking and the variety of larger stores, the BRC said.
In Northern Ireland, the numbers paint a grim picture. The data shows:
*Overall, Total Northern Ireland footfall across 2024 was down 2.2% on 2023;
*For the three months to December (Golden Quarter) footfall decreased by 3.0% (YoY);
*NI footfall decreased by 5.8% in December (YoY), down from -2.8% in November.
*Shopping Centre footfall decreased by 5.7% in December (YoY) in Northern Ireland, up from -7.3% in November.
*In December, footfall in Belfast decreased by 7.2% (YoY), down from -2.3% in November.
Reacting to the figures, Neil Johnston, Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, said: “Visits to stores in Northern Ireland slipped back in December compared to the same period the year before, rounding off a pretty drab ‘golden quarter’ and 2024 as a whole in terms of shopper footfall. Black Friday promotions gave a fillip to foot-traffic early on, however across the month as a whole footfall was feeble and fell across all destinations.
“There’s little denying these are disappointing figures for retailers with bricks and mortar premises, many of whom were hoping for a final flourish to the year and a good Christmas to help weather increasing costs and tide them over the leaner months early in the new year. That said, there is rarely an exact correlation between footfall performance and retail sales growth, and with a third of non-food retail sales purchased online it may be that retailers have proved adept at harnessing technology to get through to consumers who may not have the inclination or time to travel to shops.
“This remains a period of significant flux for retail. Weak footfall, sluggish demand, rising government-mandated cost pressures, and an uncertain outlook are all weighing on stores. The structural, economic, and regulatory changes affecting retail show few signs of abating.”
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “A drab December which saw fewer shoppers in all locations capped a disappointing year for UK retail footfall. Shopping habits have been changing fast and customers are increasingly looking for more experiential shopping, as well as a variety of cafes, services and things to do.
“Unfortunately, investment in town centres and high streets is held back by our outdated business rates system, which penalises town and city centres.
“The Government’s proposals to reform business rates may ease the burden for some retailers, but it is vital that, ultimately, no shop ends up paying more in rates than before.”
Andy Sumpter, from Sensormatic, said: “As footfall limped towards the festive finish line, December’s lacklustre performance compounds a disappointing end to 2024, marking the second consecutive year of declining store traffic.
“Retailers will now need to look afresh to 2025 and chart a course to adopt innovative strategies to reverse this trend or maximise the sales potential of fewer visitors, finding new ways to make each store visit count.”
English (United States) ·