Fewer consumers hit shops in the UK in December, while footfall fell for the second year in a row, a report on Friday showed.

According to BRC-Sensormatic data, total UK footfall was down 2.2% in the five weeks to December 28 compared to 2023.

This was an improvement on November’s 4.5% decline, although this reflected the timing of Black Friday. This year’s December figure includes Black Friday, rather than November‘s figure, while the reverse was true in 2023.

High street footfall decreased by 2.7% in December on-year, up from minus 3.7% in November. Retail park footfall was unchanged in December, up from minus 1.1% in November. Shopping centre footfall decreased by 3.3% in December, improving from minus 6.1% in November.

For the three months to December footfall decreased by 2.5% on-year.

Overall, UK footfall in 2024 was down 2.2% compared to 2023.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: ‘A drab December which saw fewer shoppers in all locations, capped a disappointing year for UK retail footfall. This means 2024 is the second year in a row where footfall has been in decline. High streets and shopping centres were hit particularly hard throughout the year as people veered towards retail parks to take advantage of free parking and the variety of larger stores.’

‘Even the golden quarter, typically the peak of shopping activity, provided little relief, with footfall down over the period. While the Black Friday weekend delivered more promising results, they were overshadowed by a lacklustre festive season.’

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