Feeble footfall in July for NI stores
Footfall in Northern Ireland decreased by 2.2% in July (year-on-year), down from -0.6% in June, making it slightly worse than the UK average decrease of -3.3%.
It is also in contrast to June when footfall increased in Belfast by 0.3% (year-on-year), down from 3.7% in May.
Meanwhile, shopping centre footfall decreased by 3.8% in July in NI, down from -1.6% in June.
The data from NIRC-Sensormatic IQ data, covers the fours weeks from 30th June to 27th July.
Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC), Neil Johnston said these figures will be disappointing for retailers, who were hoping for better.
“Consumers prioritised experiences, eating out and holidays over visits to stores in July, with shopper footfall down 2.2% compared to the same period the year before,” said Mr Johnston.
“This weakness was felt across all retail destinations compared to the month before. That said, store visits in Belfast remained a touch above the levels of 12 months ago, and Northern Ireland as a whole was the third best performer of the 12 parts of the UK surveyed.
“These somewhat feeble footfall results will be a disappointment for retailers who had been hoping for a shopper dividend from the combination of falling shop price inflation, cuts in employee national insurance contributions, and the rosier outlook for household disposable incomes.”
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, added: “Despite a warmer and drier month compared to the wash-out that was June, July’s footfall faltered with shopper traffic falling back compared to last month.
“With only one of the last 12 months returning yearly footfall gains, and as we approach almost a full year of shopper counts yo-yo-ing, it’s clear the longtail of the cost-of-living crisis is continuing to rattle consumer confidence, prompting spending caution and making consumer behaviour less predictable. With election fever now over and the school holidays now in full swing, retailers will be hoping that spells a positive outlook for store performance in the months to come.”
