Jubilee weekend brings boost to retail, with footfall up 6.9%

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend brought a boost to retail, with footfall up 6.9% from Thursday to Sunday compared with the average for May 2022, according to the BRC.

The biggest surge of the weekend came on Thursday, when footfall was up 45.6% on the May average, followed by Friday, which delivered a 17.8% boost.

The two days more than offset a decline on Saturday and Sunday, of 12.7% and 16.3% respectively.  

The BRC-Sensormatic IQ Footfall Monitor also tracked activity throughout the week leading to the Jubilee weekend, to find Wednesday delivered nearly as much of a boost as Thursday, with footfall up 44.4% on May.

Footfall for the week overall, from 30 May to 5 June, increased by 17.1% when compared with the May average. 

“The public took to the streets for the Jubilee celebrations, with retail footfall enjoying significant improvements over the early parts of the long weekend,” said BRC CEO Helen Dickinson.

“More people hit the shops, with many on the hunt for Jubilee decorations, garden accessories and new outfits. Thursday saw the best footfall as the public readied for a weekend of celebrations, from street parties to festivals. 

“It was great to see so many people out celebrating and shopping at their favourite local destinations – a welcome boost for retail businesses reliant on store performance, particularly on the high street.

“We hope that the momentum can continue despite the ongoing economic turbulence.”

Sensormatic Solutions EMEA retail consultant Andy Sumpter said: “Retailers experienced a ‘Jubilee jump’ in footfall, as the celebrations prompted shopper traffic on the high street to rise.  

“Whether it was people stocking up on supplies for the bank holiday weekend, attending street parties or using the extra public holidays to socialise with friends and family, retail benefited from welcome ambient footfall from the celebrations.”