The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that many stores across the country will be pinning their hopes on the Christmas period, after a report revealed footfall was down in the third quarter.
According to data compiled by Springboard on behalf of the BRC, footfall between August and October was down by 2.3 per cent on the same period last year. High street and shopping centre locations were hardest hit, with a dip of 2.5 per cent.
There were also significant regional variations, as footfall in the West Midlands and Scotland fell by 10.4 and nine per cent respectively. Footfall in the south-east of England, by contrast, increased by 2.9 per cent, while Greater London saw only a modest decline of 0.1 per cent.
“A successful Christmas will be a lifeline for many retailers and they will be hoping that sort of disruption doesn't add to their woes this time around,” said BRC director-general Stephen Robertson. “To generate sales, retailers are offering lots of early promotions and running special events.”
Last week, Mr Robertson called on the government to support the British retail industry by cancelling planned increases in fuel duty and business rates.
