Footfall Insights March 2025

Send us Fan MailDiane Wehrle CEO at Rendle Intelligence and Insights joins Simon for their monthly chat about footfall trends and shopping behavioursConsumer spending remains cautious as footfall stays flat across UK retail channels, rising just 0.2% in February compared to last year. Retail sales grew by only 1.1% while in-store non-food sales actually declined by 1%, revealing continued economic uncertainty despite some positive indicators.• Retail parks performed best with a 2% footfall increase, while high streets and shopping centres saw just 0.1% growth• All five major high street sectors (fashion, food/drink, general retail, grocery, health/beauty) experienced sales declines in February• Fashion continues struggling with a 7.4% sales drop, while household goods showed improvement with 4.7% growth• Fewer people are shopping (transactions down 8.1%, customer numbers down 6.7%), but those who do spend are spending more per visit (ATV up 2.9%)• Consumer caution likely driven by lingering economic uncertainty, interest rates, upcoming National Living Wage increases, and global political factors• Savings rates reached 10% - highest since the pandemic - despite wage growth of 5.9% outpacing inflation• Upcoming holiday season may further impact retail spending as consumers prioritize leisure experiences over material purchases  #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn