UK-EU Store Footfall Data Quantifies the Opportunity Cost for Discretionary Retail
Against a backdrop of different policies and lockdown measures across Europe, continental clothing retail is tracking at 38% of year-on-year levels compared to just 17% in the UK – where non-essential retail remains closed. Similar measures of customer levels for other discretionary sectors show the UK and EU in lock-step at low or close to zero, while staples – ie. Groceries – in the UK are tracking higher significantly higher. Is this evidence of government policy focusing consumer spending on supermarkets with mixed-retail offerings? What will be left for single-sector retail and independents once lockdown ends?
The Huq Index measures footfall across physical stores by industries for both the UK and EU and finds contrasts between the trends in either geography. As stated, clothing retail on the continent is tracking 21% higher than in the UK at 38%. Restaurants, Bars & Cafes are tracking 10% higher than in the UK at 30pts, and Health & Fitness 7% higher at 41pts. This trend is inverted for Supermarkets, where levels in the UK stand at 83pts to Europe’s 44pts. As the end of 2020 approaches and with it the UK’s transition period for exiting the EU, the relative economic performance of either block will come under increased scrutiny. Sign up to receive regular economic updates in near-realtime directly to your inbox.
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
Northern Cities More Adversely Affected by Restrictions than in The South
Mobility levels in the big northern cities failed to recover to their pre-pandemic levels following lockdown in the summer, in contrast to their southern counterparts new data shows.
Measuring Covid-19 Economic Resilience in Towns and Cities | PWC
PWC and Demos use footfall data from Huq Industries to measure the cities that have been most resilient to the economic impacts of Covid-19. With government investing in the safe re-opening of the…
European Professionals Return to Offices Ahead of UK Workers (Again)
EU workers are returning to their places of work after the Christmas break ahead of UK counterparts, with data from Huq Industries putting EU workers 7% ahead in the 20 days since the year began.…
In-Person UK Supermarket Trips Halve While Online Sales Double
Footfall across the UK’s biggest supermarkets has fallen by 51 percent in the last year despite their essential retailer status and booming food sales.
Brexit Effect on Transit Through UK Ports | Financial Times
On page one of todays Financial Times, data from Huq Industries offers an early indication as to how transit through UK ports has been affected since December 31st.
Oxford St Footfall Trends Shows Recovery Getting Faster
Foot traffic on London’s Oxford St paints an encouraging picture of what may come as presence touched pre-Covid levels in the brief interlude between lockdowns ahead of Christmas.
So Far in 2021: UK Ports Transits Down, Delays Increase
In the nine days since the Brexit transition period ended, high-frequency data from Huq Industries shows journeys through UK ports down 26% on January 2020.
Christmas Shopping Footfall on National Highstreets: The Data
With the festive season behind us and the new year begun, Huq looks back at high-street footfall during the Christmas shopping period between December 15-24th for Oxford Street, London and the Grand…
New Data Reveals Elf Industrial Productivity Soared 243pts in December
Elf presence across Christmas workshops in Lapland has reached a new high today, with The Elf Index showing a significant rise.
