London Leads in Footfall Growth, High Streets & Town Centres Week 48, 2024

Huq Industries’ latest footfall data reveals nuanced trends in footfall, dwell time, and weekday visitation across UK’s retail centres, particularly in High Streets and Town Centres. As of the week ending November 30, 2024, London shows a robust increase in average daily footfall year-on-year by approximately 19%, indicating a strong recovery and growth in retail activity. Similarly, the average visit dwell time in London has increased significantly compared to the same period last year, suggesting that not only are more people visiting, but they are also spending more time per visit.

High Streets & Town Centres Daily Footfall

In contrast, regions like Wales and the East Midlands have seen a decrease in footfall year-on-year, reflecting regional disparities in recovery. However, dwell times in these regions show a contrasting trend, with both regions experiencing an increase in year-on-year average visit duration. This indicates that visitors who do come are engaging more deeply with the retail environments.

The data also highlights significant regional variations in working weekday visitation shares, with the East of England showing a notable increase of about 6% year-on-year, suggesting a shift in consumer behaviour towards more weekday shopping. This shift could be influenced by flexible working arrangements post-pandemic.

Overall, the data from Huq Industries provides valuable insights into the changing dynamics of retail activity across the UK, helping retailers and commercial real-estate companies strategise more effectively.