People are staying home as footfall figures drop
Figures from shopping centres and other places are all down
FOOTFALL at shops, recreation facilities, work places, and transport hubs in Leicestershire have dropped hugely as people heed the Stay Home message.
Analysis by Google on location data shows visits to retail and recreation sites in Leicester in recent days are 84% below normal levels, and down by 83% in Leicestershire.
The category covers places like restaurants, cafes, shopping centers, theme parks, museums, libraries, and cinemas – most of which have been ordered to shut by the government. The low number of visits that are still taking place may reflect a move by some businesses to offer takeaway services.
With the public also encouraged to work from home unless absolutely necessary, time spent at transport hubs and workplaces has also plummeted in Leicester – down 80% and 51% respectively.
Visits to transport hubs are down 72% in Leicestershire, while time spent at workplaces has fallen 55%.
Even for the places the public is still allowed to go, the message to only make essential trips appears to be being taken on board.
Footfall at food shops and pharmacies has dropped by 47% from normal in Leicester and 45% in Leicestershire, and visits to parks are down 45% and 54% respectively.
However, with the public doing as asked and staying home to help beat coronavirus, unsurprisingly the data show the amount of time we’re at home is up – 15% higher than normal in both areas.
The analysis is based on anonymised data from people who have opted-in to Location History for their Google account, so it only represents a sample of people.
The figures compare the most recent data, from two to three days ago, to the average for the corresponding day of the week during the five-week period January 3 to February 6, 2020.
Across the UK, visits to retail and recreation locations are down by 85% compared to the baseline, with trips to workplaces down 55% and visits to transport hubs down 75%.
Footfall at food shops was down 46% and trips to parks down 52%, with people spending 15% more time than usual at home.