Bank Holiday rush gives UK High Streets shot in the arm

The sunny bank holiday spared UK high streets from a washout weekend, with footfall surging more than 14% yesterday.

Visits to UK high streets were down 3.3% year-on-year between Saturday and Sunday, but Monday’s recovery meant across the three-day weekend the decline was just 1.7%, according to research firm Springboard.

In London high street footfall rose 15.2% as temperatures hit the mid-twenties on Monday between 9am and 5pm.

Shopping centres and retail parks fared worse with footfall down 6.7% and 2.8% respectively between Saturday and Monday.

Springboard’s Diane Wehrle said the slip was also likely linked to a shift in spending to leisure and dining out.

“The fact that footfall improved significantly post 5pm [on Saturday and Sunday], when it was also raining, highlights the growing demand for leisure activities – hospitality, food and beverage trips.”

“These results indicate the growth in trips focusing on experience rather than trips purely to buy products.”

The figures came despite BHS shutting the last of its stores at the weekend.