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Weekly Wrap: UK Retail Footfall Trends, Week 42

Weekly Wrap: UK Retail Footfall Insights: Week Ending January 4, 2025 In the latest comprehensive analysis of retail footfall across the UK, Huq Industries reveals significant regional variations and trends. This article delves into the performance of major retail centres, retail parks, shopping

Emily Riley

Content Marketing Manager @ huq

January 9, 2025

2 min read

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Weekly Wrap: UK Retail Footfall Trends, Week 42

In the latest comprehensive analysis of retail footfall across the UK, Huq Industries reveals significant regional variations and trends. This article delves into the performance of major retail centres, retail parks, shopping centres, local retail centres, and high streets & town centres, providing a holistic view of the current retail landscape in week 42, 2024.

Daily Footfall by Retail Centre Type

Weekly Wrap: UK Retail Footfall Trends, Week 42

Major Retail Centres

According to the Major Retail Centres Footfall Report, Northern Ireland showcased the most dramatic year-on-year increase in both footfall and dwell time among all regions, indicating a robust retail rebound. In contrast, the East Midlands experienced a slight week-on-week decrease in footfall but showed a strong year-on-year recovery in consumer visits. London, a major retail hub, also saw an increase in footfall year-on-year, though the average visit dwell time slightly decreased week-on-week, suggesting a faster shopping experience.

Retail Parks

The Retail Parks Footfall Report highlights varied regional performances. The West Midlands saw stable footfall week-on-week with a modest year-on-year increase. London reported a slight increase in footfall week-on-week and a notable rise year-on-year. Scotland and the North West experienced substantial increases in dwell time, with Scotland also seeing a notable rise in weekday visitation shares.

Shopping Centres

The Shopping Centres Footfall Report points out that the East Midlands led with a significant increase in footfall week-on-week, marking it as one of the top performers. In contrast, Wales saw a noticeable decline in average daily footfall and dwell time compared to the previous year.

Local Retail Centres

According to the Local Retail Centres Report, Northern Ireland again stands out with a notable year-on-year increase in average daily footfall. However, regions like the South West experienced significant decreases in footfall year-on-year.

High Streets & Town Centres

The High Streets & Town Centres Footfall Report reveals that London led with a strong rise in footfall year-on-year, accompanied by an equally strong increase in dwell time. Conversely, the East Midlands and South East faced challenges, with noticeable drops in footfall year-on-year.

Market Outlook

The diverse trends observed across different types of retail centres and regions suggest that the next four weeks could see continued variations in footfall and dwell time. Areas with a year-on-year increase in dwell time may continue to see enhanced consumer engagement, while regions with declining footfall might face challenges unless strategic changes are implemented.

Day Part Visitation
Dwell Time Data
Footfall Data
Spending Power Data

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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.