NI footfall figures up by 0.5% but retailers fear for future
FOOTFALL in Northern Ireland shops was up 0.5% last month — but the growth is “little comfort” to retailers given the “seismic shift” facing the sector, it’s claimed.
And the lack of Executive as well as falling footfall in Belfast city centre following the Primark fire of two weeks ago are just two factors overshadowing Northern Ireland’s otherwise positive results in the Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor for August 2018.
It revealed that footfall during the period July 29 and August 25 grew here by 0.5%, and although the figure is below the three-month average of 1.4%, it is better than the 12-month average of -1.9%.
Footfall grew on both the high street and in retail parks at a rate of 1.4%.
But it is believed that footfall in Belfast has fallen significantly after the Primark fire, which broke out on August 28.
And around 14 retail outlets surrounding the building are still closed since the fire, including fashion retailers Zara and DV8, as well as Tesco and McDonald’s — which are major drivers of shoppers to the area around Royal Avenue and Castle Street.
Some surrounding traders say there has been a 90% drop in business since the fire, with overall figures in the city centre thought to be down around 45%.
Aodhan Connolly, director of Northern Ireland Retail Consortium said the exact impact of the fire on footfall in percentage terms this month couldn’t yet be determined.
But he added: “It will be a seismic shift in footfall away from one of the main thoroughfares in central Belfast.
“The big question is whether this will simply displace shoppers to other parts of the city or will shoppers not come in at all.
“The key message still remains that Belfast is open for business and we need shoppers to support the city centre.”
He added that while Northern Ireland was the only region to grow in footfall during August, that was “little comfort as it comes when we have the more dubious milestone of reaching 600 days without a working government here in Northern Ireland”.
Other regions were able to implement reforms and access funds which have been accumulated as a result of the Apprenticeship Levy, which is payable by some big companies.
“While Scotland is cracking on with implementing changes to its rates system, NI has seen no change to its antiquated system that is an impediment to investment.
“While others can access the huge monies paid into the Apprenticeship Levy and in Scotland they have a flexible skills fund, here the levy is simply a tax on business.
“The longer this goes on the longer we will fall behind our neighbours to the south and east with no retail strategy, no retail lead official and no protection for our shop workers. In short this political stagnation is making NI a much less attractive place to do business.”