UK Retail Misses Black Friday Boost As Footfall Floored By Lockdown

(Alliance News) - UK retail tumbled in November, numbers on Friday showed, as England entered ...

Alliance News 4 December, 2020 | 5:03AM
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(Alliance News) - UK retail tumbled in November, numbers on Friday showed, as England entered into a one-month lockdown, meaning many retailers missed out on a Black Friday trading uptick this year.

According to British Retail Consortium-ShopperTrak monitor data, footfall in UK retail locations was 65% lower annually in November, far steeper than both the 34% decline in October and the 12-month average drop of 39%.

For the fourth month on-the-bounce, high streets were the worst performing locations, with footfall down 64% year-on-year. November's drop was far more bruising than the 39% decline in October.

Shopping Centre footfall fell by 62% annually, after a 38% fall in October. While retail parks saw a 27% decline, after a footfall drop of 9.3% in October

BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson said: "Footfall plummeted once again as England underwent its second national lockdown in November. With the majority of stores closed, many missed out on the usual Black Friday boost to store visits as customers hunted for bargains online instead. Retail parks were hit less hard thanks to a higher proportion of supermarkets and other essential stores in those locations, slightly mitigating the overall drop in footfall.

"After two lockdowns in England, and a shortened Christmas trading period, many retailers are feeling the pressure in the final weeks of the year. 'Non-essential' retailers face mounting rent bills on top of a return to full business rates liability from April 2021. The government must address this by extending the moratorium on debt enforcement, giving retailers and landlords more time to negotiate, and extending rates relief for the worst affected businesses into next year."

Dickinson cautioned: "Without this, parts of the industry face the stark reality of being unable to pay their bills, resulting in further job losses and store closures, and setting back any wider economic recovery."

By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com

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