Market News

UK high street footfall dipped for a second year running in July, with a heatwave failing to entice people to shops.

Total UK footfall decreased by 0.4% year-on-year, up from -1.8% in June, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said in its monthly update.

Experts say spending may have moved to leisure activities such as watching the Women's Euros, rather than spending on the high street, as consumer sentiment remains cautious.

High Street footfall decreased by 1.7% month-on-month in July, meanwhile, up from -3.0% in June.

“Customers want a vibrant shopping destination, but with around one in seven shops lying empty, more needs to be done to turn town and city centres into places people want to visit," said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC.

There were some regional bright spots for retail. Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds all showed an improvement in numbers of store visits, the report found.

Retail parks continued to outperform other destinations with some seeing big brands opening new outlets. Retail park footfall increased by 1.7% in July.