Retail researchers have been left sorely disappointed by the recent Bank Holiday weekend - not to mention benign weather conditions - which failed to drive more shoppers out and about. According to the latest figures from retail intelligence agency Springboard, UK retail destinations recorded a 3.3 per cent decline in overall footfall over the long weekend (compared to the same period last year), all of which can't be the result of iffy weather on Saturday and Sunday.
If anything, the fact that footfall across these locations dramatically improved post-5pm on all three days (when rain was still reported) means Britain's shoppers aren't as deterred by wet weather as retailers might have us believe. Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said the improved footfall later in the day highlighted "the growing demand for leisure activities" - specifically hospitality, food and beverage trips.
At the same time, the convenience of online shopping often negates the need for specific shopping trips. E-commerce data specialists PCA Predict saw an increase in online activity of 5.1 per cent overall compared with 2015, though their online retail tracker saw traffic slow on Monday as the sun came out across the UK.
