Poor weather sees Scots footfall suffer worst performance of 2023, according to new Scottish Retail Consortium data

The latest report from the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and Sensormatic IQ shows a 5.5 per cent year-on-year footfall drop in the period October 1 to 28, 6.5 percentage points worse than September, but better than the UK average decrease of 5.7 per cent from 12 months previously. Shopping centre footfall fell by 2.7 per cent year on year last month, 6.4 percentage points worse than September, while there was a polarisation between the performances seen by Edinburgh and Glasgow, which saw a 0.5 per cent increase and 8.9 per cent drop respectively.

SRC director David Lonsdale said Scotland was “battered by repeated and prolonged storms” last month that dampened shopping activity. He stated: “The widespread use of severe weather alerts affecting large swathes of the country saw Scots advised to avoid travelling on several occasions during the month. Unsurprisingly, the appalling conditions and repeated deluges and disruption exerted a heavy toll on shopper footfall, which slumped to its weakest monthly performance of 2023.

“The decline in Scottish footfall was more marked than in most other parts of the UK and brought the recent quarter of improvement to a shuddering halt. All retail destinations were affected, albeit Edinburgh eked out a miniscule but positive uplift in foot traffic compared to the same period the year before. Glasgow recorded its weakest performance since March 2021.

“In footfall terms, October was a miserable start to the so-called golden quarter of festive trading,” he added – but was more optimistic regarding the longer-term outlook. “With luck, in many instances it may only lead to a deferment of purchases. Hopefully, the introduction of discounted peak rail fares, falling shop price inflation, and news of a council tax freeze should buoy consumer confidence and store visits. With the clock ticking down to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and subsequent Scottish Budget we’d encourage policy-makers to pursue further measures to lift consumers spirits and avoid adding any pressures on to household finances.”

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Sensormatic Solutions, also commented, saying shopper traffic last month was regionally impacted by Storm Babet, “which delivered the most severe and widespread disruptive weather of the year to date”. He added: “The ongoing cost-of-living pressure continues, despite inflationary easing, to impact shopper behaviour through October.”

Sumpter also said retailers need to adapt to changing consumer behaviour, with the latest data indicating that they are visiting fewer stores per trip, for example. The latter “suggests a move away from shopping around for the lowest prices and best deals toward more focused purchasing as consumers become more accepting of the current reality of paying more to buy less”, he said. “With this in mind, retailers must capture customer loyalty and spend as early as possible. As we head into the critical Christmas purchasing period the focus must be on optimising their online presence or creating engaging experiences that can entice passing trade in-store to be converted into sales.”