Welsh footfall outperformed other UK regions and nations in January with a jump in shopper numbers of 11% compared to the previous month.
According to WRC-Sensormatic data, Welsh footfall increased by 8.5% in January (YoY), up from -2.6% in December. This was the largest increase of the four nations and higher than the UK average increase of 6.6% (YoY).
Shopping centre footfall increased by 8.6% in January (YoY) in Wales, up from -4.2% in December. Retail park footfall increased by 9.8% in January (YoY) in Wales, up from -0.5% in December.
In January, footfall in Cardiff increased by 9.1% (YoY), up from -3.5% in December.
Sara Jones, Head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said:
“After a dismal end to the golden shopping quarter, January saw Welsh footfall outperform other UK regions and nations with a jump in shopper numbers of 11 per cent compared to the previous month. Cash conscious consumers were undoubtedly keen to make the most of the fantastic offers and discounts available in the January sales, with retailers looking to recoup the losses from the drab December trading period.
“Whilst 2025 has started on a more positive note for the industry in terms of footfall, the fact is retail sales in January remain considerably less than in the golden quarter leading up to Christmas and customers remain cautious dampened by a pessimistic outlook on the economy. Alongside the impact of the UK Government’s recent tax policies on the labour market and payroll costs, it remains a nervous time for the sector which is running on wafer thin margins. With additional regulatory cost pressures in the mix, alongside April’s business rates hike, Welsh retailers will be hopeful that January’s uptick in footfall can be sustained in the coming months, helping to shoulder some of the pressure they are under.”
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, said:
“After a dreary December, retailers will welcome January’s footfall jump. The uptick was boosted by a very strong Week 1, helped in part by New Year’s Day falling on a Wednesday, which may have prompted ambient store traffic as consumers bolted on additional days of leave, as well as retailers extending post-Christmas discounting well into January.
“Not even the significant disruption from Storm Eowyn was enough to dampen overall footfall performance. While welcome, after months of erratic and constrained footfall, the jury’s out as to whether January’s store performance signals the start of a sustained High Street revival or if it will be a flash in the pan come February. And, even if shopper traffic recovery has finally turned a corner, the challenge for retailers will be solving the next conundrum; how they balance enhanced footfall – which requires optimised store staffing to convert into sales – and the significant rises to labour costs borne out of the Budget on the one hand, with consumer appetite for discounts – a long-term margin-eroder – on the other, which will not be an easy circle to square.”
