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Major Retail Centres Footfall Report, Week 42: Scotland shines

Weekly Wrap: UK Retail Footfall Insights: Week Ending January 4, 2025 Retail footfall and dwell time trends across the UK have shown significant regional variations, according to the latest footfall data from Huq Industries. The data, which covers major retail centres across the UK, highlights how

Emily Riley

Content Marketing Manager @ huq

January 9, 2025

2 min read

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Major Retail Centres Footfall Report, Week 42: Scotland shines

Retail footfall and dwell time trends across the UK have shown significant regional variations, according to the latest footfall data from Huq Industries. The data, which covers major retail centres across the UK, highlights how different areas are experiencing changes in consumer behaviour as of week 42.

Major Retail Centres Daily Footfall

Major Retail Centres Footfall Report, Week 42: Scotland shines

East Midlands Footfall and Dwell Time

In the East Midlands, while the average daily footfall has seen a slight decrease week on week, the year-on-year change shows a robust increase, reflecting a strong recovery in consumer visits. Similarly, the average visit dwell time in this region has increased significantly compared to last year, suggesting that shoppers are spending more time per visit.

London Retail Dynamics

London, a major retail hub, has also seen an increase in footfall year on year. However, the average visit dwell time has slightly decreased week on week, indicating a faster shopping experience for consumers.

Scotland’s Consumer Confidence

Scotland stands out with a notable increase in both footfall and dwell time year on year. This suggests a growing consumer confidence and willingness to spend more time in retail environments.

South West Engagement

Conversely, the South West has shown a marginal change in footfall compared to last year, but a significant increase in dwell time, indicating that while fewer may be visiting, those who do are engaging more with the retail offerings.

Northern Ireland’s Retail Rebound

Northern Ireland has seen the most dramatic increase in footfall year on year among all regions, paired with a substantial increase in dwell time. This indicates a significant rebound in retail activity.

Market Outlook

Based on the direction of the latest footfall data and historical trends, the next four weeks could see continued variations in footfall and dwell time across different UK regions. The data suggests that areas with a year-on-year increase in dwell time may continue to see enhanced consumer engagement, while regions with declining footfall might face challenges unless strategic changes are implemented.

Overall, the footfall report from huq provides valuable insights into the evolving patterns of consumer behaviour in the UK’s retail sector, with varying trends across different regions reflecting local economic and social dynamics.

Day Part Visitation
Dwell Time Data
Footfall Data
Spending Power Data

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Frequently Asked Questions

Clear answers to the most common questions about movement intelligence, retail expansion, and location analytics.

How does movement intelligence differ from traditional market research?
Traditional market research relies on surveys, demographics and historical reports. huq's movement intelligence uses real-world behavioural data to reveal where people go, how long they stay and how locations perform, giving teams a live picture of consumer activity.
Can movement data help benchmark locations against competitors?
Yes. Compare stores, shopping centres, town centres or developments against competing locations using consistent metrics such as footfall, dwell time, catchment, visit frequency and commercial performance.
How often is movement data updated?
huq refreshes behavioural intelligence daily, allowing organisations to monitor changes in visitor activity, market trends and location performance with near real-time visibility.
Which industries benefit from movement intelligence?
Retail, real estate, financial services, government, BIDs, investors and property owners all use huq to make smarter location, investment and regeneration decisions backed by behavioural evidence.
Can huq feed our models directly?
Yes. huq data is available through APIs, data exports and structured datasets, making it easy to integrate into internal dashboards, analytics platforms and quantitative research workflows.
What markets and history are covered?
huq provides extensive UK coverage with years of historical behavioural data and daily updates. Customers can analyse long-term trends, benchmark locations and monitor market changes with confidence.