Benchmark

UK Shopping Centres – Week 40 (2025) Footfall Retail Update

UK Shopping Centres saw a 4.5% drop in footfall this week with overall footfall data indicating a 2.2% annual decline. Footfall analytics suggest evolving consumer habits.

Joe Capocci

Head of Growth @ huq

October 16, 2025

2 min read

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UK Shopping Centres – Week 40 (2025) Footfall Retail Update

UK Shopping Centres saw a 4.5% drop in footfall this week with overall footfall data indicating a 2.2% annual decline. Footfall analytics suggest evolving consumer habits.

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The latest UK Shopping Centres report for Week 40 (2025) highlights notable trends in footfall and consumer behavior. The overall average daily footfall reached 34,400 during the week ending 12 October 2025, reflecting a 4.5% decline on a week-on-week basis and marking a 2.2% drop compared to the previous year. Alongside these figures, the average visit duration has decreased to 101 minutes, showing a recent decline of 2.9% and a 7.3% drop year-on-year.

Regional differences are evident in the data. In Scotland, an average daily footfall of 31,700 was recorded, with a 7.2% increase from the previous week and significant annual gains. This contrasts with England, where footfall averaged 35,900, experiencing both a week-on-week drop of 5.5% and a 4.8% annual decline. In Wales, footfall held at an average daily count of 12,600, with a minimal week-on-week decrease of 0.6% but showing slight positive movement on an annual basis.

Consumer engagement remains a key focus. Visitors in Scotland continued to average 101 minutes per visit, even as recent trends showed a slight softening, while the annual figures suggest a moderate increase in engagement time. England mirrored this pattern with an average visit duration of 102 minutes, experiencing only slight week-on-week fluctuations but a more pronounced annual decrease. Conversely, visitors in Wales, with an average duration of 82 minutes, displayed sharper increases in their engagement time.

Industry reactions have been mixed. Joe Capocci, the spokesperson for Huq Industries, commented, "The latest figures show Scotland’s robust footfall growth alongside subdued trends in England, as supported by retail news of new store openings at Glasgow Silverburn and Manchester Arndale." These developments indicate that while overall trends suggest a cautious market, regional variations continue to drive strategic retail initiatives.

The evolving consumer habits reflected in both footfall and dwell time metrics point to an ongoing transition in retail engagement, with UK shopping centres adapting to new market dynamics amid both challenges and opportunities.

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

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Dwell Time Data
Footfall Data

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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.

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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.
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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.
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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.