Consumer caution and nervousness about the upcoming Autumn Budget set back September shopper traffic, the latest data from the BRC-Sensormatic Footfall Monitor.

Total footfall dipped -1.8% last month compared to 2024, down from -0.4% in August.

September footfall falters across all retail destinations

Store visits were down across all retail destinations, with the High Street experiencing the largest year-on-year decline, down -2.5% in September and falling from +1.1% in August.

Retail Parks proved to be more resilient – shopper traffic dipped -0.8% compared to 2024 last month, up from -1.1% in August.

“Low consumer confidence ahead of a potential tax-rising Budget kept many shoppers away from retail locations in September,” Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said.

Tubes strikes & Storm Amy compounded consumer caution

“September saw footfall falter once more,” Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, commented.

“The month began with a modest uplift, driven by Back-to-School, but momentum was quickly disrupted. London’s Tube strikes and Storm Amy brought widespread disruption, impacting shopper activity.”

Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA, Sensormatic

“These events compounded an already cautious consumer mood, with many still navigating cost pressures and economic uncertainty,” Sumpter added. “Retailers will now be hoping that September’s slowdown was less a sign of retreat, and more a pause for thought.”

Retail investment hampered

Dickinson further commented that “retailers’ ability to invest in local High Streets has been hampered by last year’s Budget, which added £5billion in employment costs to the industry.”

“For retailers to invest in shopping destinations that will entice shoppers back, the government-imposed cost burdens holding back that investment must be lifted,” she concluded.