Unseasonal warm and sunny spring weather may have impacted retail footfall in May as consumers prioritised leisure and outdoor activities.
According to WRC-Sensormatic data, Welsh footfall decreased by 0.4% in May (YoY), down from 13.6% in April. Shopping centre footfall decreased by 5.4% in May (YoY), down from 8.1% in April. Retail park footfall increased by 1.2% in May (YoY), down from 11.6% in April.
In May, footfall in Cardiff decreased by 2.1% (YoY), down from 9.0% in April.
Sara Jones, Head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said:
“Retailers will be a little disappointed as visits to shopping destinations fell back slightly in Wales in May. Hopes were high after a positive Easter trading period but sadly the figures were a small fall back from 2024's performance. It wasn't all bad news. Wales was the top performing nation in the UK last month, and retail parks continued to show growth. However, visits to Cardiff fell a little, and shopping centres saw a five per cent decrease.
“Last June saw concerts and sporting events draw consumers onto the high street but didn't translate into increased sales. The hope is this summer will see that footfall bounce repeated, but this time hopefully consumers will choose products rather than experiences. With consumer confidence shaky right now and businesses grappling with higher costs there is a lot on the line in the coming months.”
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, said:
“Welsh retail footfall held up better than the UK average in May, with a year-on-year decline of just -0.4% compared to -1.7% nationally. High streets and shopping centres still saw some softening, but retail parks continued to show resilience, supported by their convenience and accessibility.
“Despite the warm and sunny weather – more typical of peak summer than late spring – footfall didn’t fully reflect the brighter conditions, suggesting that consumers may have prioritised leisure and outdoor activities over shopping. Nevertheless, May’s result marks a clear improvement on the -5.0% seen in the same month last year and contributes to a more stable trend in 2025.
“Encouragingly, consumer sentiment is on the rise, with more people feeling optimistic about their personal finances and the wider economy. Notwithstanding ongoing cost-of-living pressures, retailers in Wales will be looking to make hay while the sun shines – focusing on the right mix of experience, value, and convenience to convert seasonal footfall into sustained growth.”
