Targeted action and political support for the retail sector is needed to halt a downturn which is “draining life from local communities”, the Welsh Retail Consortium is warning.
According to WRC-Sensormatic data, Wales footfall decreased by 2.8% in January (YoY), up from -3.1% in December.
Shopping centre footfall decreased by 6.1% in January (YoY), up from -6.2% in December. Retail park footfall decreased by 2.4% in January (YoY), up from -4.2% in December.
In January, footfall in Cardiff decreased by 2.4% (YoY), up from -4.4% in December.
Sara Jones, Head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said:
“January footfall remained below levels seen a year ago, laying bare the deep-rooted challenges facing bricks-and-mortar retail in Wales. Although there was a slight improvement on December, it was far from enough to reverse the damage. Even heavy discounting and widespread promotional activity during the month failed to draw shoppers back to our high streets, showing that retailers cannot discount their way out of these pressures.
“Shopper footfall in Wales has fallen in eight of the past 12 months and the continued downturn is squeezing town and city centres, putting jobs and investment at risk, and steadily draining life from local communities.”
“As political parties finalise their manifestos ahead of the Senedd election, this is a critical moment to decide the future of our high streets. Targeted action — including meaningful reductions in business rates for all stores and clear backing for physical retail — could still stabilise and strengthen town centres. Without that political and policy support, the outcome is clear: more shop closures, more job losses, and high streets left increasingly empty, undermining local economies and the communities that depend on them.”
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, said:
“January was still a tough month for Wales, with footfall down 2.8% year on year – an improvement on December, but the weakest performance of the devolved nations. Shoppers clearly remain cautious, yet there are signs that value led New Year promotions did tempt some consumers back into stores.
“Storm Goretti added further pressure, disrupting travel and putting an additional brake on visits just as retailers were looking to reset after the golden quarter.
“Even so, the easing in the rate of decline offers a glimmer of optimism. After months of negative figures, retailers in Wales will be hoping that an improvement in January sets the stage for growth as we move into February – and that footfall can finally start to turn the tide.”
