After a strong performance throughout 2024, UK shopping centres ended the year with a flourish topping the footfall list of places to shop in December.

And the good news was also that their rivals, retail parks and high streets, weren’t too far behind in the popularity stakes. Result was that total retail footfall last month rose 7.1% compared to November, driven by a 13.2% jump in shopping centre footfall followed by a 5.7% rise in retail parks, while high streets also saw footfall rise by 4.8% over the comparative period, according to MRI Software.

Shopping centres and retail parks benefitted from the vast array of retail and leisure options available for consumers, especially during the festive period while high streets enjoyed many visited towns and cities across the UK to make the most of the special festive events and attractions.

But the picture was less favourable compared to last year, with footfall up marginally in retail parks (+1.2%) and high streets (+0.3%) while shopping centres experienced a decline of 0.1%. 

This may be reflective of the financial pressures facing many consumers at this time of year and the increased costs that are typically associated with the winter period.

This year, Christmas Day fell midweek which provided consumers with an extra couple of days earlier in the week to head to the shops and grab those last-minute gifts and groceries. 

Retail stores and destinations also benefited from an additional boost on the other side of Christmas as shoppers emerged from their post-Christmas slumber to take advantage of the Boxing Day sales and restock on groceries however this didn’t occur until 27th December. 

A subdued start to the Boxing Day sales saw footfall decline 4.9% in all UK retail destinations in comparison to Boxing Day last year “likely reflect[ing] a shift in consumer behaviour, influenced by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis”, the report said.

With footfall levels 18.1% higher in all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared to Christmas Eve last year, many shoppers may well have concentrated much of their spending in a pre-Christmas rush, it added.

Many key stores also remained closed on Boxing Day– John Lewis, M&S, Next and Aldi – and many people were still visiting families.

The turn in activity came on the 27 and 28 December, footfall rose by an average of 8.8% compared with the same date period last year. This was driven by a 13.2% uplift in high street activity suggesting shoppers were keen to make the most of the festive markets and enjoying leisure activities such as trips to the theatre and sporting events.

Looking ahead to the next six months, MRI Software’s latest Consumer Pulse report revealed that 51% of shoppers are concerned about the rising cost of living driven primarily by higher energy and housing costs as winter approaches.

“Retail leaders should bear these trends in mind as the surge in festive footfall may well be the last big splurge for many consumers ahead of what could be a spending freeze heading into early 2025. Leveraging data-driven insights to drive operational efficiencies such as adapting resourcing and energy to traffic peaks and troughs will become even more business-critical”, it noted.