Hot summer weather has mixed effect on British retailers
THE HOT, dry weather in July turned consumers’ attention to eating, drinking and enjoying the outdoors, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: “The hot weather provided a small lift for high streets as shoppers popped out to grab food, drink and fans to keep cool.
“However, the heat sapped shoppers’ stamina for longer trips with both retail parks and shopping centres seeing footfall sink.”
The BRC said footfall in July fell by 0.8 per cent, in line with last month’s decline of 0.9 per cent and July 2017’s decline of 1.1 per cent.
High streets saw growth of 0.3 per cent, the third month of consecutive growth.
Footfall in retail park locations declined by 0.5 per cent in July in comparison to July 2017, when footfall increased by 1.7 per cent.
Ms Dickinson said: “Aside from short-term weather impacts, there’s no escaping the fact that retail is changing. With fewer people visiting physical stores and fewer purchases being made there, at the same time as costs are going up year on year, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing many retailers reduce their store portfolios.
“As shops close we need new businesses to emerge to reinvent the nation’s high streets. But that cannot happen if the burden of business rates they face continues to rise year on year, which is why we’re calling for a freeze in business rates in the Chancellor’s next Budget.”