Footfall in the UK last month was significantly higher than a number of major EU economies, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC.)

While numbers in the UK decreased by 13.7 per cent in October, this was still a 3.2 per cent improvement on September, and above the three-month average decline of 16 per cent.

In Spain, footfall was down 19.8 per cent last month, whilst Germany saw numbers plummet by 26.1 per cent, Italy by 34.6 per cent, and France 34.9 per cent during the same period.

“It was great to see the UK leading the way for footfall in October among the major European economies,” said Helen Dickinson, chief executive, BRC. “This gives more retailers a reason to be hopeful as we enter the crucial golden quarter, with many embracing both digital and physical connections with their customers, and indicates that retail is playing a key part in the economic recovery.”

But she warned that while many UK cities have seen a boost to footfall in recent months, the largest cities – London, Birmingham, and Glasgow – are continuing to lag behind other areas. The chief exec blamed the poor numbers to lower tourism levels, more working from home, and lower usage of public transport due to Covid-19.

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