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\t\tFootfall for retails has fallen\t<\/p>\n\t\t\tFriday 09 October 2026 7:45 am
\n\t\t\t\t\t\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Updated:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\t\tFriday 09 October 2026 7:46 am\n\t<\/p>\n
\t\tFootfall for retails has fallen\t<\/p>\n
Retail footfall took a dive in September as shoppers stayed away from shopping centres, prompting calls for the Chancellor to slash taxes for high street firms.<\/p>\n
In September, the UK\u2019s total retail footfall fell by 2.9 per cent, far worse than the 1.7 per cent decline recorded in the month prior, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).<\/p>\n
The trade body said the rising tax burden facing retailers means they cannot invest to boost footfall, adding that businesses are \u201cfighting with one hand tied behind their backs\u201d.<\/p>\n
The headline decline in footfall was driven down by a 3.5 per cent drop in footfall at shopping centres, which had fallen by only 0.5 per cent in August.<\/p>\n
The slowdown in footfall at retail parks worsened from one per cent in August to 1.7 per cent last month, as high street footfall marginally improved from a decline of 3.1 to three per cent.<\/p>\n
The BRC said retailers were expecting a seasonal slowdown in shopping trips as the summer\u2019s warm weather faded, but had not predicted the drop-off in traffic to be this pronounced.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Retailers had already suffered mixed fortunes from this year\u2019s multiple heatwaves, as the record temperatures sent online sales soaring<\/a> at the expense of in-person shop visits.<\/p>\n Andy Sumpter, head of analytics at Sensormatic, which produced the BRC\u201ds data, said retailers \u201ccannot attribute this month\u2019s performance to the weather\u201d.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/p>\n \t\t\tRetailers call for \u2018lifeline\u2019 from Healey as cooler weather fails to boost footfall<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cInstead, consumers appear increasingly focused on broader economic concerns, including the continued impact of inflation, household spending pressures, fuel costs and uncertainty ahead of the Autumn Budget.\u201d<\/p>\n Inflation ticked up<\/a> to 3.1 per cent in August and economists have warned<\/a> that the knock-on effects of the Iran war have eaten away at the government\u2019s fiscal headroom, restricting the number of interventions it can make at the Budget without cutting spending.<\/p>\n \u2018Help retailers keep prices down\u2019<\/p>\n Helen Dickinson, the BRC\u2019s chief executive, said that retailers will \u201cdo all they can to attract shoppers with great value and choice\u201d following last month\u2019s \u201csharp decline\u201d in footfall.<\/p>\n \u201cBut until [the] government acts to reduce the cost of doing business, retailers are fighting with one hand tied behind their backs,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n \u201cBy pulling back from another increase in business rates, the Chancellor can use his first Budget to unlock vital investment in our shops and high streets, help retailers keep prices down and provide jobs across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n