The Sunshine’s Driving Footfall

Does hot weather really boost footfall?

Last June, we enjoyed a heatwave across the UK which was a saving grace for retail destinations! The weather increased high-street footfall by 0.9% during the month – 5 basis points above the 3 month average of 0.4%.

Generating high-levels of footfall and maintaining this, is a challenge for all shopping destinations. The hot weather is a great advantage – it drives consumers out of the house and encourages them to enjoy the offerings their local scheme has to enjoy! Not only from a footfall perspective, but the warm weather often influences shoppers to update their summer wardrobe or to revive the garden with some new plants – increasing sales for many retailers!

With the beast from the east hitting the UK in March earlier this year and negatively affecting footfall numbers across the UK, it is clear the weather can really impact consumers visiting retail destinations. So, with the first bank holiday in May bringing us the hottest day of the year and the sun continuing to shine, can we expect footfall levels to increase?

The month of May is promising to bring good weather, many schools have half term and a lot of families will be prepping for their summer holiday. Over previous years, records show that sunshine can drive record levels of footfall, increase sales and significantly improve the overall performance of a scheme. It is important retailers are ready for the anticipated footfall, products and stock-levels are considered and relevant campaigns are implemented.

Shopping centres and retailers have the challenge of engaging with shoppers through targeted, relevant promotions, delivering engaging experiences, utilizing the latest technology innovations. This is an on-going development and challenge that needs to be continuously adapted in order to be effective. With the weather hoping to drive footfall, shopping centres need to ensure they have events and campaigns in place to increase dwell time and fully capitalize on the high volume of customers coming through the doors.

If a shopping centre can create a unique and positive experience while consumers are enticed out due to the weather, they have the opportunity to create loyal customers and repeat visits for the future! Looking forward to seeing the (hopefully positive) statistics at the end of the month!