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Footfall in August was 1.6% lower than a year ago, down from the 1.1% fall in July, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard.
This was below the three-month average of -1.4%. Both high streets and shopping centres reported a decline, falling 2.3% and 2.8% respectively. Footfall in shopping centres is now the lowest since January excluding Easter distortions.
Footfall in retail park locations increased 1.7% year-on-year – the slowest increase since May 2015 and significantly below the three-month average of 2.5%.
Nine regions and countries reported a decline in footfall, four of which had a footfall rate lower than the UK average.
The East Midlands was the only region to report positive footfall growth, albeit marginally at just 0.04%.
Helen Dickinson, director general of the BRC, said: “The continued decline in footfall in shopping centres and on the high street is disappointing, but not surprising. The fact that the number of visitors to retail parks has dipped below the three-month average is also a clear sign of a lack-lustre August.
“However, it is worth noting that these figures do not take into account the last two days of August (the Sunday and Bank holiday Monday) which will, hopefully, add some cheer to the numbers in September. These numbers are a clear demonstration of the continued pressures the UK retail industry is facing. We know that retailers are steadily maintaining sales but at lower prices and to fewer people visiting physical stores.
Diane Wehrle, marketing and insights director at Springboard, added: “It is clear that high streets and shopping centres are under increasing pressure once again – August was the third month in a row in which footfall in high streets dropped by more than 2%, and this has been the case in shopping centres for the past five months.
“The probability is that in September UK footfall will bounce back from the -1.6 per cent recorded in this August to at least equal the more modest 0.9 per cent drop recorded in September 2014.”
