UK High Streets & Town Centres – Week 12, 2025: footfall analytics Performance Update

Overview

Data from The Benchmark for the week ending 30 March 2025 indicates modest declines in footfall across UK High Streets and Town Centres, according to footfall analytics. Nationally, average daily footfall was recorded at 27,600, marking a 1.5% reduction from the previous week and a 6.6% decline compared to the same period last year.

Despite these figures indicating fewer visitors overall, the duration of visits has improved, with the national average climbing to 95 minutes. This slight improvement in dwell time, alongside muted week on week variations, suggests that while fewer people are visiting, those who do are spending longer in store environments. These findings are further supported by robust footfall data.

Regional Breakdown

Regional analysis reveals distinct patterns across the UK. Centres in England have experienced a 1.3% drop in daily footfall from the previous week, arriving at an average of 28,400 visitors, with a comparable 6.3% decline over the year. In contrast, Scottish centres recorded lower attendance with an average of 21,100 visitors, declining by 5.6% week on week and 13.6% over the year.

Welsh centres saw the lowest numbers at 13,500 daily visitors, experiencing a 3.8% week on week drop and an 11% decline compared to last year. These footfall statistics highlight evolving regional consumer behaviours and contribute significantly to footfall retail insights.

Dwell Time Insights

Quality of visits has shown an overall improvement. Although the average visit duration fell slightly by 1% on a week on week basis, the year on year increase of 6.7% underscores an enhanced visitor experience. In England, dwell times were maintained from the previous week and improved by 9.1% compared to last year.

Scottish centres reported steady performance over the week while experiencing a sharp increase over the year, whereas Welsh centres noted a marked reduction in the time visitors spend per visit. Recent footfall counting metrics further corroborate these dwelling trends.

Industry Comment

"Overall results, with the most striking decline in Scotland's footfall alongside recent retail headlines such as the WH Smith sale, affirm that our data provides essential insight into evolving consumer behaviour," said Joe Capocci, Huq Industries spokesperson.

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