The latest BRC-Sensormatic data showed that footfall last month saw a +7.2% year-on-year boost, as sunshine and a late Easter spurred shopper traffic to stores, up from -5.4% in March.

The late Easter, which took place in April as opposed to March this year, may mean some of the year-on-year footfall comparisons for last month are artificially high. However, combining March and April together, compared with the same two months in 2024 – and cancelling out the impact of a late Easter skewing the figures – total footfall was still also up, at a more marginal +0.2%.

“While this suggests that April’s gains largely offset March’s dip, it also highlights the importance of sustained engagement beyond seasonal peaks. Retailers will now be looking to build on this momentum as we move into the summer months,” Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, said.

And, with the Met Office reporting last month was the sunniest April on record, warmer weather was also thought to have helped drive extra shoppers into store, the BRC-Sensormatic Monitor suggests.

“A late Easter and some welcome rays of sunshine encouraged shoppers to head out to their local shopping destinations in April,” Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, commented.

“Adjusting for the late Easter, footfall across March and April showed a small but positive trend. This reflected the unseasonally warm and bright weather right across the UK.”

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive, BRC

Retail Parks saw the biggest year-on-year boost, up +7.5% last month, and up from -1.2% in March. This served to “reinforce their role as a resilient format,” Sumpter added.

Of all retail destinations, Shopping Centres saw the biggest upward swing compared to the previous month, shifting from -5.8% in March to +5.6% in April compared to 2024, a rise of +11.4 percentage points.