Benchmark

UK Retail Parks – Week 16, 2025 Performance Update with Location Analytics

UK retail parks see a 0.5% weekly increase, yet overall declines persist. Notable insights from location analytics and growing location intelligence inform footfall performance analysis.

Joe Capocci

Head of Growth @ huq

May 1, 2025

2 min read

Social

UK Retail Parks – Week 16, 2025 Performance Update with Location Analytics

Share on LinkedIn


Overview

UK retail parks recorded an average daily footfall of 18,600 during Week 16, reflecting a modest 0.5% weekly increase alongside a 7.4% year-on-year decline. This data, sourced from The Benchmark, provides valuable location analytics insights for retail operators across the nation. The findings underscore that while there are encouraging short-term gains, significant longer-term challenges continue to affect the sector’s recovery.

Regional Performance

A detailed look at regional trends reveals distinct performance patterns:
• Scotland: An average daily visitor count of 17,700 marks a 2.4% weekly rise, although a 12.8% year-on-year decline is present.
• England: Retail parks in England saw an average of 19,000 daily visitors, enjoying a steady 0.4% weekly increase paired with a 6.6% annual drop in footfall.
• Wales: A slight weekly dip, with an average of 14,800 visitors and a 12.3% year-on-year decline, was noted in Wales.

Dwell Time & Additional Insights

Dwell time stands out as a key secondary metric, with visitors averaging 71 minutes per visit. This represents a weekly increase of 2.9% and an annual rise of 12.7%. Regional specifics include Scotland with a higher average visit duration of 74 minutes, while England and Wales both maintained an average of 71 minutes. England’s continuous week-on-week improvement and a short-term uplift in Wales further enhance the robust location intelligence framework needed for performance analysis.

Spokesperson’s Comment

Joe Capocci, spokesperson for Huq Industries, noted, "The most striking change this week was the sharp increase in Scotland’s weekly footfall, along with supportive indications from recent retail industry news." Despite the current uptick, the ongoing annual declines underscore the need for retailers to leverage insightful analytics as part of their recovery strategies.

Conclusion

In summary, while Week 16 highlighted incremental improvements, the underlying trends call for continued vigilance and innovative strategies to address the broader challenges faced by UK retail parks.

Media: For all media and press enquiries, please contact media@huq.io

Day Part Visitation
Dwell Time Data
Footfall Data

Social


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.


Get the latest intelligence Benchmark update each Thursday!

Sign Up Now
faq’s

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.