UK retailers suffered a disappointing December as total footfall declined by 2.9% year-on-year, with rising bills and food costs keeping shoppers at home during the crucial festive period. The decline capped a challenging 2025, which saw overall footfall fall by 0.8% compared to 2024 – marking the third consecutive year of annual decline.
Shopping centres bore the brunt of the downturn, experiencing a 5.1% drop in visitor numbers. High streets saw footfall fall by 0.9%, while retail parks declined by 2.5%. The crucial "Golden Quarter" – the three months to December – saw visitors fall by 2.2%.
Regional data revealed England and Wales suffered the steepest declines at 3.1% each, while Scotland saw footfall drop 1.5% and Northern Ireland 1.7%.
Changing shopping patterns
Many consumers delayed purchases to take advantage of post-Christmas sales, with the week after Christmas the only period to show a significant uplift. Shoppers made fewer but more targeted trips in the lead-up to Christmas, particularly affecting shopping centres.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: «It was a disappointing December for retailers as footfall declined across all shopping locations, as well as in the major cities. In the face of rising bills and food costs, many consumers held off for post-Christmas sales, with the week after Christmas the only one to see a significant uplift.»
She added: «Shoppers were also browsing less in the lead up to Christmas, making fewer, but more targeted shopping trips, particularly in shopping centres, which saw the largest drop in footfall. Last month's figures capped a challenging year, with total shopper traffic down in 2025. This marks the third consecutive year of annual footfall decline, reflecting the continuing evolution in shopping habits and the retail landscape.»
Signs of resilience
Andy Sumpter from Sensormatic, which provides the footfall data in collaboration with the BRC, noted changing festive buying patterns. «Shopper traffic rallied outside traditional peak days, showing festive buying patterns are changing», he said.
Despite the domestic decline, UK footfall in December ranked as the second strongest among G7 markets. «While UK footfall fell year on year, it was the second strongest among G7 markets in December – a sign of resilience in a tough trading climate», Sumpter explained.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
