Benchmark

Week 16, 2025 Local Retail Centres Report: UK Location Analytics Insights

UK local retail centres saw footfall rise by 9.8% and a 5.4% annual increase, highlighting robust consumer engagement via location analytics and location intelligence.

Joe Capocci

Head of Growth @ huq

May 1, 2025

2 min read

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Week 16, 2025 Local Retail Centres Report: UK Location Analytics Insights

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UK Retail Centres continue to demonstrate resilience in a competitive market. The latest benchmark report by Huq Industries offers a detailed look into the performance of local retail centres across the UK. During the week ending April 27, 2025, retail centres recorded an average daily footfall of 15,200 visitors. This marks a 9.8% increase over the previous week and a 5.4% growth when compared annually.

The rise in footfall is accompanied by consumers spending an average of 99 minutes per visit. Dwell times have also seen a positive shift, with a 2.1% week-on-week increase and a notable improvement over the same week last year. These statistics are a testament to the effectiveness of utilising location analytics and location intelligence to gain deeper insights into consumer behaviour and retail performance.

A breakdown of regional data provides an interesting insight into local variations. Centres in England have maintained robust numbers with an average of 15,200 daily visitors, a 9.5% week-on-week improvement and a strong annual increase of 6.3%. The average dwell time here was recorded at 98 minutes per visit. In contrast, retail centres in Wales, while observing an 11.8% weekly uplift with 11,900 daily visitors, experienced an annual decline in footfall. However, Welsh centres recorded the longest visit durations at an average of 104 minutes per customer and a significant weekly improvement in dwell time of 18.2%.

Scottish centres have managed an average daily footfall of 14,700, showing an 11.7% increase during the week, although annual figures suggest a slight decline. Visitors in Scotland spent an average of 101 minutes per visit, highlighting steady consumer interest despite a tough retail environment.

Industry experts are optimistic about these trends. Joe Capocci, a spokesperson for Huq Industries, commented, "The sharp increase in footfall in key regions, alongside developments such as the retail centre revamp highlighted in recent industry news, confirms our belief in the market’s resilience." This industry sentiment, combined with positive footfall and dwell time data, underscores the ongoing consumer engagement and the critical role of location analytics in driving retail success across the UK.

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.
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.