MNI DATA IMPACT: Weather Keeps UK Shoppers At Home In Feb

-- UK total footfall fell by 2.0% in February on an annual basis

By Irene Prihoda

     LONDON (MNI) - The BRC-Shoppertrak Footfall Monitor fell 2.0% on an annual

basis in February, with the majority of the data being collected before the news

of the coronavirus became frontpage news. 

     According to the BRC, the newly introduced index is calculated by capturing

the precise number of shopper numbers entering stores within the UK, in

whichever destination they are located.

     The main points of note from the release follow:

     -- Footfall declined across all shopping locations with shopping centres

experiencing the sharpest fall, dropping by 7.0% year on year. While footfall on

High Streets fell 2.5% y/y, the number of shoppers in retail parks decreased by

1.5%.

     -- The survey notes that heavy rainfall and multiple storms in February

kept consumers from going to shops. Areas which were particularly hit by bad

weather conditions saw a greater decline in footfall with Portsmouth (-9.8%) and

Cardiff (-6.4%) revealing the largest declines.

     -- The survey was conducted between February 2 to 29 and according to the

BRC there was a slight boost in footfall in the last week of the survey. Growing

concerns regarding the outbreak of the coronavirus might have contributed to

this increase.

     -- Looking forward, as the situation regarding the coronavirus is

deteriorating and reports regarding stockpiling are filling the newspapers, a

rise in the footfall monitor is likely in March.

     -- February's decline of the footfall monitor suggests a downside risk for

February UK retail sales published on Thursday 26 of March. Retail sales

rebounded in January after two consecutive months of decline. Looking ahead,

March data are likely to show an increase in sales as indicated by the uptick in

the footfall monitor at the end on February, although the virus news could skew

data.

--MNI London Bureau; +44 0203 865 3814; email: irene.prihoda@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

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