By Kristy Dorsey
Shopper footfall in Scotland slumped again in December marking the fifth consecutive month in which the country suffered the deepest decline of the four nations.
Figures out today from the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) show that footfall across the country declined by 22.8 per cent compared to the same period in 2019, a three percentage point decrease from November. The average decline across the UK was 18.6% as the spread of the Omicron variant led to people limiting their outings.
SRC director David Lonsdale said it rounded off a “profoundly worrying” period for shopkeepers who rely on strong pre-Christmas trading to see them through the slower winter months. With Scotland under stiffer restrictions than many other parts of the UK, he called for further support such as the grants available for shops in Wales, high street stimulus schemes as implemented in Northern Ireland, or by scrapping the cap on the business rates relief announced in Scotland.
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“Shopper footfall in Scotland plummeted further last month during what would traditionally be the busiest time of the year, as government instructions to work from home and socialise less coupled with the reintroduction of physical distancing in stores exerted a heavy toll,” he said.
All UK regions suffered declines in December, with Northern Ireland down 10.8% , Wales 20.1%, and England 20.2% compared to the same period in 2019.
In Scotland, the decline in shopping centres accelerated to 31.9% from 28% in November. Footfall throughout Glasgow was down 21.8%, more than any other city bar Nottingham (-23.8%) and London (-26.7%).
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