Benchmark

Week 38, 2025 Local Retail Centres: Footfall Retail Insights

UK Local Retail Centres saw a 3.9% weekly rise in footfall retail, with footfall analytics revealing a 15.4% uplift in engagement year-on-year.

Joe Capocci

Head of Growth @ huq

October 2, 2025

2 min read

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Week 38, 2025 Local Retail Centres: Footfall Retail Insights

UK Local Retail Centres saw a 3.9% weekly rise in footfall retail, with footfall analytics revealing a 15.4% uplift in engagement year-on-year.

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Overview:
For the week ending 28 September 2025, UK Local Retail Centres reported an average daily footfall of 16,600. The overall performance displayed a moderate week-on-week increase of 3.9% and a slight year-on-year gain of 0.5%. Visitor engagement remained robust with an average dwell time of 105 minutes, although this represented a week-on-week drop of 2.8%, counterbalanced by a strong year-on-year engagement boost of 15.4%.

Regional Breakdown:

  • Scotland: Retail centres recorded an average of 16,800 daily visitors, marking a significant week-on-week rise of 11.3% and a year-on-year improvement of 3.9%. However, the average dwell time in Scotland was 95 minutes, down by 13.6% on a weekly basis, even as it improved by 10.5% year-on-year.
  • Wales: Centres attracted approximately 14,000 daily visitors, with an impressive week-on-week increase of 11.5% and an 8.3% rise year-on-year. The average visit in Wales lasted 90 minutes, reflecting a 10% weekly reduction and a modest change of 2.3% on a year-on-year basis.
  • England: Here, retail centres maintained a daily footfall of 16,600 with a week-on-week increase of 3.4% and a nearly unchanged year-on-year performance (0.2%). Visitors in England experienced the longest average dwell time at 107 minutes, despite a slight weekly decrease of 2.7% and a year-on-year increase of 16.3%.

Industry Comment:
Joe Capocci from Huq Industries highlighted the uplift in footfall trends, noting that the strong weekly performance in Wales, with an 11.5% surge, underscores current market trends as also seen in the latest Retail Industry News.

Data Insights:
The detailed footfall statistics and analytics provide a comprehensive view of the varying performance across regions, with noticeable impacts on visitor frequency and engagement quality. These figures offer retailers critical insights for strategic planning and operational adjustments in response to dynamic consumer behavior.

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

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Dwell Time 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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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.