Economic Activity Across Europe Plummets as Second Lockdown Comes into Force
The presence of customers across all consumer industries in Europe fallen sharply over the last two weeks as countries across the continent introduce measures consistent with those seen during the first lockdown. This effect is most keenly felt across discretionary industries – particularly hospitality, accommodation, leisure and apparel.
The Huq Index shows a steady recovery over the course of the summer, with customer levels approaching equivalent 2019 levels at their zenith in late August. The increase in cases and the onset of tighter restrictions through the autumn however has put this positive growth recovery trend into reverse.
Accommodation has seen the fall drop in year-on-year attendance, with levels plunging 76pts to 18 percent of last year’s levels. Apparel and foodservice has dropped starkly to 54 percent of equivalent levels. With many now forced to entertain themselves at home, supermarkets – as last time – have shown resilience but nonetheless show declines of 30pts in recent weeks.
With the UK set to join France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal and many others in a second national lockdown this week, the Huq Index will demonstrate the economic effect of different policies from country to country in near real-time. Sign up to receive regular updates of our high-frequency indicators by email.
Huq Industries publishes high-frequency economic data across a range of themes derived from its first-party geo-mobility data. Our first-party, verified and compliant data supports a broad range of applications in financial services, real-estate, and public sector and CPG. Whichever research themes you are following, Huq offers a fast and reliable means to measure business and societal trends with confidence.
Related Stories
Freedom in the Air: Park Visits Peak Past Pre-Covid Levels
Visits to England’s parks and gardens have surged past pre-Covid levels in recent weeks as warmer weather coaxes people out for walks.
In-store Grocery Shopping Level at 50pts Amid Online Boom
In-person visits to UK supermarkets during the second national lockdown has been consistently lower than in May with high-frequency data suggesting that the shift towards online grocery shopping is…
City Centre Visits Jump 10% Following 22 Feb Roadmap Announcement
The number of people visiting city centres jumped by 10% following Boris’ roadmap announcements on 22 February, suggesting that light at the end of the tunnel and more confidence in the vaccine…
Visit Duration During Covid-19 Across the Urban Hierarchy and Income Scale
In this analysis we use our mobile geo-location data to explore how dwell time - the duration of visitors to high-streets and town centres - has changed in the past 14 months and contrast those…
European Non-Essential Retail Footfall in Decline as Pandemic Third Wave Looms
Footfall across Europe’s clothing, hospitality and leisure industries has fallen by almost a third so far in February amid a broader consumer sector decline as the continent faces a new wave of the…
European Defence Industry Fighting Back From Pandemic Low
The European defence industry is making a strong recovery from the effects of the pandemic as worker activity reaches its highest level since the outbreak began.
Chesterfield, Derbyshire: The Impact of Covid-19 on Town Catchments
Huq's high-frequency measure of footfall in the urban environment offers a precise, detailed measure of mobility trends within high-streets and urban areas - and can also be used to accurately model…
Freight Transits At UK Ports Recover to Pre-Brexit Levels
Transits through British ports have climbed back to pre-Brexit levels and delays are showing signs of creeping down.
Normal EU In-Store Clothing Retail at UK Pre-Christmas Peak Levels
Footfall across British clothes shops has been lower than the rest of Europe for the entire pandemic as tough lockdown measures push customers to online retailers.