This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/mar/18/high-street-rise-number-shoppers

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
High street sees rise in number of shoppers High street sees rise in number of shoppers
(6 months later)
Britons are shunning out-of-town shopping centres and returning to the high street, according to a new report. The British Retail Consortium and Springboard said the number of shoppers on the high street rose by 2.7% last month compared with February 2012, while shoppers in out-of-town locations dropped by 1.5% and in shopping centres by 1.6%.Britons are shunning out-of-town shopping centres and returning to the high street, according to a new report. The British Retail Consortium and Springboard said the number of shoppers on the high street rose by 2.7% last month compared with February 2012, while shoppers in out-of-town locations dropped by 1.5% and in shopping centres by 1.6%.
Diane Wehrle, research director at Springboard, said: "For the high street, one swallow does not make a summer, but these results might hint at the green shoots of recovery, or at least some stabilisation in the current environment."Diane Wehrle, research director at Springboard, said: "For the high street, one swallow does not make a summer, but these results might hint at the green shoots of recovery, or at least some stabilisation in the current environment."
Overall footfall figures inched up by 0.8% on last year and it is thought that once in the shops, Britons are spending. Helen Dickinson, director general at the BRC, said: "This is a respectable result, which tallies with the signs of gradual improvement shown in our February sales figures. Even though overall footfall is only marginally up on last year, the signs are that conversion rates were good. New ranges gave shoppers a spring in their step and end-of-season promotions also proved popular."Overall footfall figures inched up by 0.8% on last year and it is thought that once in the shops, Britons are spending. Helen Dickinson, director general at the BRC, said: "This is a respectable result, which tallies with the signs of gradual improvement shown in our February sales figures. Even though overall footfall is only marginally up on last year, the signs are that conversion rates were good. New ranges gave shoppers a spring in their step and end-of-season promotions also proved popular."
But she noted the 2.7% decline in shoppers in the north and Yorkshire. "The link between the number of shops and shoppers is plain to see; the lowest footfall was in the north and Yorkshire, which has England's highest vacancy rate."But she noted the 2.7% decline in shoppers in the north and Yorkshire. "The link between the number of shops and shoppers is plain to see; the lowest footfall was in the north and Yorkshire, which has England's highest vacancy rate."
Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.