Home » UK Business News » Central London footfall plummets after series of train strikes

Central London footfall plummets after series of train strikes

By Nagasunder in UK Business News, posted December 14, 2022

The ongoing train strikes have had a “huge impact” on footfall for high streets and shopping centres in the UK, as more walkouts loom.

The latest strikes have reduced foot traffic in Central London by 31.7 percent compared to the previous week, with high streets across the country suffering the most as many stayed at home and put off shopping visits.

High street footfall was 9.5 percent less on December 13 than on the same day in 2021 but over a third lower than on the same day in 2019.

Diane Wehrle, Springboard insights director, said: “The gap from the 2019 level has not been as wide since the beginning of 2022.

“Inevitably, given its reliance on public transport, footfall in Central London has been hit even harder, with a drop of 31.7 percent from last week and the gap from 2019 widening to 41.8 percent – by far the largest gap from 2019 since 2021.

“The impact on retail and hospitality businesses in what is a critical trading time of the year, less than two weeks before Christmas, will undoubtedly be severe and could mean failure for some.”

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Source: Retail Gazette

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