Shoppers still head over heels with shoes
|
Version 0 of 1. Shoppers “hit the high streets with purpose” last month, splurging more on clothes and new shoes but taking fewer trips to make their purchases because of the continued rise of online sites. Shopper numbers fell 1.1 per cent across retail destinations in August, dropping 2.8 per cent on the high street and down 1.1 per cent at shopping centres, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard Footfall Monitor said. However, shoppers who did visit stores spent more per trip. Sales at stores open longer than a year rose 1.3 per cent aided by strong fashion and footwear demand. Springboard retail insights director Diane Wehrle said: “The drop in footfall in August in high streets and shopping centres – which has occurred in all but one month this year – underlines further that it is these locations that are vulnerable to the adverse effect of change occurring across our retail landscape as a consequence of online shopping.” The BRC said there was a growing trend for shoppers to visit a store “knowing what they want to buy ahead of time, supported by online research”. |