Last month footfall took a “disappointing turn” as shopper counts slowed, dipping -1.7% year-on-year in May, the latest data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic reveals, down from +7.2% in April.

In the four weeks to 31 May, the BRC-Sensormatic index showed High Street stores experienced the steepest decline in visitors last month, falling -2.5% compared to 2024. Retail Parks fared better, seeing a marginal improvement of +0.2% year-on-year – however this was still down from +7.5% in April.

“Despite the warm and sunny weather, footfall didn’t quite follow suit, suggesting that consumers may have favoured outdoor leisure over shopping,” Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, commented.

However he pointed to footfall becoming more stable in 2025 compared with some of the volatile shopper count trends experienced last year. “May’s result is a marked improvement on the -3.6% seen in the same month last year and reflects a more stable trend in 2025 overall,” he added.

“Footfall took a disappointing turn last month, following a more promising start to the year,” said Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC. “While stock markets stabilised, higher household bills depressed consumer appetite to visit retail stores.”

Sumpter also noted a rising sense of optimism among consumers, which could translate into improved footfall performance later in the summer.

“Encouragingly, consumer sentiment has shown signs of improvement, with more shoppers feeling optimistic about their personal finances and the wider economy,” he said. “Retailers will be looking to make hay while the sun shines, focusing on the right mix of experience, value and convenience to convert seasonal footfall into sustained growth.”