Shops shudder as footfall falls

It follows Bank of England Governor Sir Mervyn King warning that the UK faces “the most serious financial crisis” ever, and David Cameron urging the nation to pay off their credit card debt – rather than go on shopping sprees – in a speech that was ultimately rewritten.

Experts say the latest figures from credit report firm Experian, which show 2.31 per cent fewer people going into shops in September than in the same month last year, are unsurprising and unlikely to change soon. The drop was slightly less than the UK average of 2.39 per cent.

Experian blamed the unseasonably warm end to the month for putting off shoppers, although other experts said consumer confidence was a bigger factor.

In a statement, Experian said: “Consumers made the most of the Mediterranean temperatures and opted for the outdoor leisure pursuits. This left autumn and winter ranges unappealing for the warm weather.”

Mr Cameron rewrote his speech to the Conservative conference after retailers warned that urging people to pay off their credit card debts would slow high street sales even further. However, the Scottish Retail Consortium said the public was already doing exactly that.

Richard Dodd, of the consortium, said: “Where people have spare money they are paying off debt, not spending it in shops.

“I don’t think people need to be told they should be doing that, they’re doing it already.”

He added: “Of course the weather is a factor for both shopper numbers and retail sales, but it’s not the most important.

“What is much more significant is that people are feeling nervous about their situation, disposable income is falling, wages are static while utility bills and other costs are going up.”

Footfall figures are typically calculated through electronic counters placed at shopping locations around the country.