Shoppers not deterred by protest ‘thuggery’

Despite violent scenes and protests in Belfast last month, consumers returned to support the high street with NI continuing to perform well in terms of footfall compared to GB.

Overall shoppers were not put off for long by the protests in June, with retailers and shoppers described as resilient and quickly returned to business as usual.

The latest figures from NIRC-Sensormatic show that Northern Ireland footfall decreased by 0.9% in June (year-on-year), up from 1.0% in May, while shopping centre footfall increased by 0.4% last month, up from -0.2% in May.

Meanwhile, footfall in Belfast decreased by 1.9% (year-on-year), down from 0.1% in May. The figures cover the four weeks from 31^st May to 5^th July.

Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, Neil Johnston said there was a sense of frustration within the retail industry here.

“It is shocking that Belfast was momentarily badly disrupted by a handful of people engaging in violence and thuggery. Thankfully, the impact on footfall was merely postponed and not dramatic,” said Neil Johnston.

“Total retail footfall was down 3.4% across the UK but in Northern Ireland, however, was only down by 0.9%. Belfast was down 1.9%. Without the protests, the figures would have recorded increases. We can only hope that the negative publicity that surrounds the violent protests is quickly put behind us. Sadly, the damage caused by the actual violence and intimidation – some of it directed towards retail staff – will take longer to overcome.

“The retail industry is deeply frustrated that a tiny handful of protesters, though their violent actions, can so easily disrupt the work of our staff and the desire of the overwhelming majority simply to get on with their lives. These figures are in ways a repudiation of those who seek disruption and discord. Shoppers voted with their feet and did not allow themselves to change their plans and routines.”

Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic added: “June saw a relatively steady performance for Northern Ireland, with footfall down 0.9% year-on-year, bringing the year-to-date figure to -1.6% at the halfway point. While still in negative territory, this represents a more resilient result than seen across much of the UK, suggesting demand has held up comparatively well.

“As elsewhere, warmer weather is likely to have influenced shopper behaviour, with Northern Ireland recording its joint hottest June on record. However, conditions were less extreme than in other parts of the UK, potentially limiting the level of disruption to retail activity. More localised factors also played a role, with unrest in parts of Northern Ireland – particularly in Belfast – likely to have impacted footfall during key periods of the month.

“Despite these challenges, underlying consumer behaviour remains consistent with wider trends. Confidence is improving slightly but remains subdued, with shoppers continuing to make fewer, more considered trips. As we move into the second half of the year, retailers will be focused on building on this relative resilience by converting deliberate visits into meaningful spend.”