Weekly Wrap: UK Retail Trends in Week 3, 2025: Diverse Regional Footfall Dynamics
In Week 3, 2025, Northern Ireland saw a 42.5% increase in retail dwell time, while the South West faced a 13.4% drop in footfall.
Recent data from Huq Industries reveals nuanced trends in footfall, dwell time, and weekday visitation across major retail centres in the UK as of the week ending January 26, 2025. These statistics highlight the dynamic nature of consumer behaviour in different parts of the country, underscoring the importance of location intelligence in understanding market dynamics.
Daily Footfall by Retail Centre Type
Major Retail Centres
In Northern Ireland, there has been a significant increase in average visit dwell time, with the latest figures showing a 42.5% increase year on year. This suggests that shoppers are spending more time per visit, potentially indicating higher engagement or satisfaction with the retail environment. Scotland also shows a robust increase in working weekday visitation share, with a 24.3% rise year on year. This could be indicative of a shift in shopping habits, with more consumers opting to visit retail centres during weekdays. Conversely, the South West has experienced a decline in average daily footfall, with a year on year decrease of 13.4%. This drop might reflect local economic challenges or changes in consumer preferences in this region. Read more about Major Retail Centres Footfall Report.
Retail Parks
Retail Parks in the UK have demonstrated varied performance in terms of footfall, dwell time, and weekday visitation across different regions. Most regions have experienced a decrease compared to the previous week, with the North West, London, and the North East seeing declines of approximately 2.8%, 1.1%, and 2.1% respectively. However, the average daily footfall has generally decreased across all regions year on year, with notable declines in areas such as Wales and the South East. In Scotland, the average visit dwell time has increased by over 30% year on year, indicating that while fewer people may be visiting, those who do are staying longer. Read more about Retail Parks Footfall Report.
High Streets & Town Centres
In Wales, the average daily footfall has seen a slight decrease week-on-week, while the average visit dwell time in the East Midlands has increased, indicating a more engaged consumer base. Notably, Scotland has experienced a significant increase in average visit dwell time year-on-year, suggesting a shift towards longer stays at retail locations. Read more about High Streets & Town Centres Footfall Report.
Local Retail Centres
In Yorkshire and the Humber, dwell time has increased significantly, with visitors spending an average of 102 minutes per visit, a notable rise from previous periods. Wales, however, saw a decrease in both footfall and dwell time, indicating a shift in consumer behaviour in the region. London stands out with a slight increase in footfall year on year, contrasting with broader national trends of declining visitor numbers in other regions such as the South West and North East, which experienced significant drops. Read more about Local Retail Centres Footfall Report.
Market Outlook
Based on the direction of the latest data and trends from the previous year, it is likely that the coming four weeks will see continued variations in footfall and dwell time across different regions. Northern Ireland may continue to experience increased engagement, while the South West might face further challenges unless there are significant changes in local economic conditions or consumer preferences.
