This is how much retail footfall dropped in March

Footfall across retail destinations dived by 44.7 per cent in March owing to the Government-mandated lockdown, according to the latest BRC-ShopperTrak footfall monitor.

It showed that UK footfall declined by 17.7 per cent in the three weeks before the lockdown was enforced on March 23.

However, in the two weeks after lockdown was announced, footfall sank by an average of 83.2 per cent after non-essential shops closed and people were told to stay at home.

High streets saw footfall decline 41.8 per cent in March compared with the previous year, as increased use of convenience stores provided a rare positive.

Shopping centres were harder hit by the lockdown, reporting a 43.6 per cent dive in footfall for the month.

Meanwhile, retail parks saw footfall decrease by 23.5 per cent in March, as they benefitted from having a higher proportion of supermarket stores and their wide-open spaces made social distancing easier.

British Retail Consortium (BRC) chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Footfall dropped in early March, as many people chose to stay at home and reduce the risk of catching coronavirus.

“This downwards trajectory was accelerated by the Government’s decision to put the UK on lockdown, with footfall dropping by over 80 per cent on the previous year in the weeks following these measures.”

Last week the BRC revealed that retail sales declined at the worst rate on record in March as total sales slid by 4.3 per cent year on year.

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant at ShopperTrak, said: “The way in which we shop has dramatically changed, with consumers shopping by themselves – causing an artificial drop in footfall numbers – and retailers limiting shopper numbers in store.”