Peak Christmas high street footfall down 5.3% – survey

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy High street footfall was 5.3% lower on December 23 than the same day last year as cost-of-living pressures continued for many households, according to the latest figures. Retailers had hoped for a long-awaited sales bonanza on Monday – expected to be this year’s peak Christmas shopping day – and footfall surged by 28.5% across all UK retail destinations compared with the week before, MRI Software said. However, MRI said the year-on-year 5.3% drop in footfall on the high street suggested the cost of living was still affecting many families. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, said: “While many are taking to the shops ahead of Christmas Day, this may well be the last splurge before a big spending freeze sets in in the new year for consumers, meaning that retailers should be taking heed of these trends to plan accordingly for a challenging start to 2025.” On Monday, separate figures suggested this Christmas appeared to have been “disastrous” for retailers, with footfall down 11.4% on last year over the final full week before Christmas.