Footfall blow: Inflation squeeze and bad weather take toll on Scottish high street

A jump in the cost of living and poor weather are likely factors behind a fall in the number of people visiting Scottish stores last month as footfall remains well behind levels seen before Covid-19 lockdowns.

Footfall fell by 17.5 per cent in February compared to the same month in 2020, which is 1.3 percentage points worse than the month before, with Scotland seeing the steepest decline of all four UK nations.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), said it was an “underwhelming and disappointing performance” for Scotland’s retailers.

Shopping centre footfall fell by an average of 31.2 per cent in February compared to the same month two years earlier, which was better than the fall of 36.6 per cent the month before and the first monthly improvement since autumn, the SRC noted.

Experts believe that bad weather may have played a part in the weak footfall figures. Picture: David Mirzoeff/PA Wire

Footfall in Glasgow dropped by 19 per cent last month when compared to before the pandemic.

Lonsdale said: “Concerns about the cost of living and even the bleak weather in the second half of the month could well have exerted a downward pressure on visits to stores. However, these figures do underline the protracted nature of the recovery and the need for concerted action and a more upbeat message from policy makers in the short-term to encourage and entice shoppers back.

“After all, much of our wider economy is ultimately dependent on what happens to consumer spending.”

A separate SRC monthly sales monitor published last month, based on value of sales, showed “tentative signs of a recovery” on the high street in January.

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