Shoppers deserted UK high streets during June as the wet weather and continuing Brexit uncertainty helped drive store visits down to a seven-year low for the month.
According to the Guardian, the “summer slump” took a particularly heavy toll on high streets, with shopping centres also badly affected, according to the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) monthly footfall tracker for the period from 26 May to 29 June.
The data will fuel fears that Britain’s economy has come to a stand still. With fears of a no deal Brexit prompting consumers to sit on their hands and put off luxury purchases.
Footfall across shopping areas fell by 2.9% during the period, up from a 0.9% decline in the same month last year, that being the lowest June figure recorded since 2012.
High streets were worst hit, with visits sliding by 4.5%, compared with a 0.1% rise in June 2018, when the World Cup and sunny weather prompted many people to snap up barbecues, garden items and impulse purchases.
According to the Guardian, the BRC chief executive, Helen Dickinson, said “…Last year’s World Cup and glorious sunshine set a high bar which 2019’s slow consumer spending and Brexit uncertainty failed to live up to.”
However, June’s decline represents a month-on-month improvement on May’s figures, which recorded footfall down 3.5% on the same month in 2018 – the worst figure recorded since January 2013.
Buckingham has seen the effects of this with the closer of Buckingham Bakery, Kiwi & Pomme and, Curious Minds, the vintage clothing store.
