Helena Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), has said that a slowing down of the decline in retail footfall offers some "cautious optimism" for the industry.

According to data from the retail organisation, total UK footfall declined by 0.6 per cent in January 2026 compared to the same month last year.

This is an increase from –2.9 per cent in December 2025.

Footfall in retail parks increased 1.1 per cent in January year-on-year, up from -2.5 per cent in December.

The BRC attributed this positive growth to free parking and in-person shopping during the January sales.

Footfall in shopping centres saw the biggest shift, decreasing by 0.8 per cent in January, up from -5.1 per cent in December 2025.

The BRC said the best performing cities were in the North, where shopper traffic was hit badly by severe storms last year.

Scotland recorded the strongest year-on-year growth in footfall, up 5.1 per cent, with Northern Ireland also seeing strong growth of 3.8 per cent.

However, the BRC said footfall fell across the rest of the UK, falling by 1.4 per cent in England. Wales recorded the largest decline of 2.8 per cent when compared to last year.

Helen Dickinson said that while footfall edged down in January compared to a year earlier, it was much better than the “disappointing” Christmas period.

“An uptick in consumer confidence and possible signs of a footfall recovery offer some cautious optimism for some spring like green shoots,” she added. “Government can enable retailers to build on this momentum by incentivising, rather than inhibiting, investment in stores and colleagues across the country.

“Upcoming legislation, including the Employment Rights Act, must support the long-term growth agenda, helping create the virtuous circle of jobs, investment in local communities, and footfall growth.”

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