UK High Streets & Town Centres – Week 10 2025 Footfall Trends Update
During the week ending 2025-03-16, UK High Streets & Town Centres experienced a 4.2% weekly and 6.3% yearly decline in footfall retail, while overall footfall trends indicate visitors spent 96 minutes on average.
During the week ending 2025-03-16, UK High Streets and Town Centres recorded an average of 26,800 visits per day. Although this reflects a modest week-on-week decline of 4.2% and a year-on-year reduction of 6.3%, detailed insights reveal a more nuanced retail landscape.
Overall, the footfall figures point towards significant strategic adjustments in retail environments. Despite the lower number of visitors, dwell time—a key indicator of customer engagement—has shown resilience, with the average visit lasting 96 minutes. This marks a slight weekly rise of 1.1% and signifies an improvement compared to the previous year, suggesting that while fewer shoppers are stepping through the doors, those who do are engaging more deeply with the retail space.
Regional Insights:
In England, the story is one of subtle decline with an average daily footfall of 27,500. This region experienced a decline of 4.3% from the previous week and a 5.7% drop compared to the same period last year.
Scotland presents a mixed picture: while the average daily visitors stand at 23,200—a figure which increased slightly by 0.8% week-on-week—the comparison with the last year shows a significant drop of 12.6%. Certain pinpoint sites in both England and Scotland even registered modest gains over the preceding week, highlighting areas of potential growth.
Meanwhile, Wales experienced a more pronounced impact with an average daily footfall of 13,200, declining by 5.7% from the previous week. However, the region’s visitor engagement tells an interesting story as dwell time surged to an average of 113 minutes per visit, marking a strong week-on-week rise of 14.1% and a significant year-on-year improvement.
Scottish centres also recorded noteworthy customer engagement, with dwell times averaging 106 minutes and displaying a marked increase compared to the previous year. These trends suggest that while visitor numbers might be subdued in certain areas, the overall quality of the customer experience is strengthening.
Industry Comment:
Joe Capocci, spokesperson for Huq Industries, noted, “These metrics – a notable decline in footfall in areas such as Wales and a sharp increase in visitor dwell time – echo insights from recent retail industry news, underscoring the need for carefully adapted strategies.”
This week’s analysis highlights the evolving dynamics of the retail environment across the UK, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and strategic insight in maintaining strong customer engagement even amidst challenging footfall trends.
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About Huq Industries
Huq Industries is the leading provider of location intelligence across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East, specialising in delivering high-quality data insights on footfall, consumer behaviour, and retail performance. By leveraging advanced analytics and an expansive data network, Huq Industries enables retailers and analysts to understand and respond to market trends effectively, ensuring they are well-equipped to navigate the changing landscape of high street and town centre commerce.
