High Street footfall plummeted 6.2% in June, which was England’s hottest on record.
Mean temperatures nearly three degrees above average pushed Brits to avoid town centres, with a scorching London and South East recording the sharpest decline.
Those travelling by car to air-conditioned destinations were better able to manage the heat, with retail parks and shopping centres “more resilient” according to BRC chief Helen Dickinson.
The monthly BRC-Sensormatic data showed retail park footfall down 0.3% year on year, a slight improvement from May’s -0.5%, and shopping centre footfall down 2.5% in the year compared to -2.4% in May.
Scottish consumers blessed with milder weather were likewise more likely to make the trip out to the shops, with Scotland’s footfall up 1.7% – though it was the only one of the Kingdom’s four nations to record a rise.
Total visits across the UK were down 3.4% in June, which marked another subdued month for British retail in a year where April marked a five-year low for in-person shopping trips.
Sensormatic retail consultant EMEA Andy Sumpter said the figures showed a retail sector “under pressure”.
“Exceptionally high temperatures are likely to have influenced behaviour, particularly in the South, where record heat and travel disruption made shopping trips less appealing. At the same time, consumer confidence is improving slightly but remains low, with wider uncertainty continuing to weigh on discretionary spend,” he said.
“While the hopes of some of the nation may be for football to come home, footfall appears to have stayed there at times. With key matches drawing attention - and occasionally keeping shoppers away - retail teams will be hoping that as the tournament moves on, consumers return in force. As we move into H2, the focus remains on converting more deliberate visits into meaningful spend.”
Dickinson repeated her call on the government to cut the regulatory load on retailers.
“Higher taxes and regulatory burdens are making it harder to invest, create jobs and grow. Government action on business rates and energy costs would help unlock investment to revive our local communities.”
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