UK Major Retail Centres – Week 19, 2025 Update: Shifting Trends and Insights from Location Analytics

Share on LinkedIn

The latest figures from The Benchmark Tracker show that UK shopping centres welcomed an overall average daily footfall of 31,200 during the week ending 18 May 2025. Although this represents a modest weekly increase compared to the previous week, long‐term data reveals a decline relative to the same week last year. Notably, visitors spent an average of 120 minutes per visit—a small weekly uptick and a marked improvement from the previous year—highlighting emerging trends in shopper engagement derived from advanced location analytics.

In regional breakdowns, English centres led with an average daily footfall of 33,300. Despite a gentle week-on-week increase, the long-term trend shows softened footfall levels compared to the previous year, even though dwell times of about 122 minutes remain steady and display gradual improvement over time. In contrast, Scotland’s retail hubs attracted an average of 21,200 visitors daily. Not only did Scotland observe a modest decline in weekly footfall, but shoppers there also clocked an impressive average visit duration of 133 minutes, reflecting robust engagement within centre environments.

Wales presents a more varied picture; while the region recorded an average of 14,700 daily visitors with a notable sharp increase over the past week, the average visit duration stands at just 46 minutes—indicating a slight recent drop and a significant annual contraction.

Industry expert Joe Capocci from Huq Industries commented on the figures: "The sharp increase in Welsh footfall, alongside robust engagement in both Scotland and England, mirrors recent industry trends involving major store expansions and long-term retailer commitments. This underscores evolving consumer behaviour in our market."

These insights underscore the importance of location analytics in understanding and responding to changing consumer habits across different UK regions, revealing a complex interplay of short-term adjustments and long-term trends in the retail landscape.

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.