UK footfall is predicted to increase by 47.9 per cent when non-essential retail stores open in April.

According to research by Springboard, High Streets will see the largest rise in footfall at 59 per cent.

While footfall at shopping centres and retail parks will surge by 46 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.

Springboard data found that at the end of the first and second lockdowns, footfall increased in the first week by over 40 per cent, but said “greater rises are expected due to the success of the UK vaccination programme.”

The company predicts that the reopening in mid-April will see footfall rise by 128.5 per cent in comparison to the same week in 2020, however it will still remain 61.8 per cent below the 2019 level.

“As we approach the 12-month mark since the start of the pandemic in the UK, lockdown fatigue is at its height and the increases in footfall over the last five weeks have indicated the pent-up demand for a return to normality,” said

Diane Wehrle, insights director, at Springboard. “We know from when non-essential retail reopened at the end of Lockdowns 1 in June and 2 in December that footfall will rise sharply and we anticipate this will be more prominent than ever before with a rise of up to 47.9 per cent.

“By mid-April, consumers will be looking for sensory and social retail experiences, reconnecting with their favourite brands and purchasing new wardrobes for a summer of social events. We are anticipating a strong initial uplift in April that will continue to rise over the summer months as the economy reopens in the UK.”

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