Week 9, 2025 High Streets & Town Centres: A location analytics Perspective

Week 9 data shows a modest overall decline in visitor numbers across high streets and town centres, with location analytics revealing subtle footfall trends amid a challenging retail landscape.

The latest figures from The Benchmark indicate a modest decline in daily footfall across UK High Streets and Town Centres during Week 9, 2025. Overall, visitor numbers have softened when compared to both the previous week and the same period last year, underscoring evolving retail performance amidst a challenging environment.

Regional analysis highlights clear distinctions across the UK. English centres are displaying resilience with less pronounced declines in daily footfall, in contrast to the more significant reductions seen in centres located in Wales and Scotland. These marked differences suggest that the retail environment in Wales and Scotland is facing tougher conditions.

Despite the downturn in overall footfall, dwell time data offers an interesting insight into consumer engagement. The average duration of visits remains robust throughout the regions. In Wales, there has been a modest rise in the time shoppers spend in centres, while Scotland has experienced a sharp increase in dwell time. This suggests deeper engagement by visitors in areas with declining footfall. Conversely, while English centres have seen a slight dip in visit duration on a week-on-week basis, their longer-term performance still holds positive indicators.

Joe Capocci, a spokesperson for Huq Industries, commented, "The most striking change observed in week nine is the notable decline in Welsh and Scottish footfall accompanied by a sharp increase in dwell time. This shows that although visitor numbers are down, engagement per visit is improving."

The evolving retail landscape highlights the need for retailers and high street centre managers to adapt quickly. As consumer engagement patterns shift despite lower footfall, the focus on enhanced in-store experiences and targeted marketing initiatives may well be the key to navigating this complex retail terrain.

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