Footfall slumps as shoppers get cold feet
Published: 06 December, 2010
The big freeze has hit footfall hard, with national retail footfall down by over 10 per cent compared to this time last year according to Experian
The picture is even worse at a regional level, with the number of shoppers in Yorkshire & Humberside down by 24 per cent, Scotland by 14 per cent and the North East by 13 per cent.
Jonathan De Mello, head of retail consultancy at CB Richard Ellis, said: "With due to the deep freeze we are currently experiencing, retailers are having to work even harder to entice shoppers out of their homes and into the high street during this critical Christmas shopping period.
“However, on the plus side, it has never been a better time to be an owner of a covered, heated shopping centre – with footfall in major regional shopping centres like Bluewater and Westfield London, no doubt benefiting from the impact the freezing temperatures and snow is having on our high streets."
But while shoppers may have been deterred from heading out, according to Simon Lloyd, Head of Industrial & Logistics at DTZ, retailers have for the most part been ableto keep the shelves stocked.
“Retailers, and food retailers in particular, should be applauded for making sure their distribution networks are well connected,” he said. “Retail supply centres are positioned close to main roads, and in most cases have remained accessible despite the heavy snow. Some retailers use rail networks to transport goods over longer distances, and this has helped mitigate any problems on the roads.
“Food retailers have large networks in place, which means they can access supplies from alternative distribution centres even if their usual hubs are temporarily taken out of commission. Furthermore, suppliers to the warehouses benefit from the same accessibility advantage.
“This means food supplies have remained largely unaffected by the cold snap and any panic-buying has been largely unnecessary.”
But he warned online retailers could be more exposed. “Non food internet retailers house different types of products in different buildings, often using more remote locations than their high street counterparts. As they are reliant on postal delivery services to get their products to consumers, they are more exposed to extreme weather conditions and this can lead to major delays, although their goods will get through eventually.”
