BRC blames ballooning bills for poor May footfall

Total footfall dropped by 1.7% year-on-year, down a whopping nine points from April’s 7.2% upswing, according to BRC and Sensormatic statistics released today (13 June). 

And while retail park footfall held firm at 0.2% growth, the high street took the brunt of the squeeze as 2.5% fewer shoppers visited.

Helen Dickinson, the BRC’s chief executive, said the downturn was “disappointing” after a favourable start to the year and sunny conditions that might have been expected to draw out shoppers.

She blamed higher household bills for the squeeze, saying they had “depressed consumer sentiment and the appetite to visit retail stores”.

While water companies made headlines in April with drastic hikes in their bills – like Southern Water’s average increase of 47% – consumers faced increases across the board, including a 6.4% jump in Ofgem’s price cap for gas and electricity.

The drop in footfall came despite the warmest May on record, according to Met Office figures.

Andy Sumpter, Sensormatic’s retail consultant for EMEA, said: “Despite the warm and sunny weather – more typical of peak summer than late spring – footfall didn’t quite follow suit, suggesting that consumers may have favoured outdoor leisure over shopping. Still, May’s result is a marked improvement on the -3.6% seen in the same month last year and reflects a more stable trend in 2025 overall.

“Encouragingly, consumer sentiment has shown signs of improvement, with more shoppers feeling optimistic about their personal finances and the wider economy. Notwithstanding ongoing cost pressures, retailers 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.”

The government must now allow retailers breathing space to make the most of this newfound economic stability, according to Dickinson.

“Retailers work hard to deliver vibrant, engaging shopping experiences that attract customers and boost footfall across the UK. However, the Chancellor’s 2024 Budget added £5bn to the industry’s costs, hampering their ability to do so,” she added.

“The government must now ensure that upcoming reforms to business rates to be announced in the 2025 Budget leave no shop paying more. These reforms should support and incentivise, rather than penalise, the investment needed to revitalise our high streets and town centres.”