Britain's retail sector faced continued challenges in July as persistent heatwave conditions deterred shoppers, with high streets particularly affected, new figures suggest.
Total UK footfall declined by 2.1% year-on-year, an improvement from June’s 3.4% drop, according to British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic data.
High street footfall was down 3.8% annually, better than June’s 6.2% fall. Shopping centres also saw a 1.4% year-on-year decrease, an improvement on the 2.5% drop recorded the previous month.
England registered the weakest performance across the UK nations, with an overall footfall reduction of 3%.
London experienced a significant 5.3% decline, highlighting the ongoing difficulties larger urban centres face during periods of extreme heat, Sensormatic noted.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “The heatwave continued to bear down on retail footfall in July, with high streets worst affected.
“London was hit particularly hard as soaring temperatures made tube and train travel less attractive, with some commuters and shoppers opting to stay home.
“Nonetheless, it was still an improvement on the previous month’s figures, when record-breaking sunshine saw footfall fall by an even bigger margin.”
She said: “Climate change continues to deliver more and more extreme temperatures in the UK.
“Retailers are responding by investing in both mitigations – such as more air conditioning and more efficient refrigeration units – and in sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
“Unfortunately, business rates often punish stores for such investments, showing the need for government to look again at this broken system.”
Andy Sumpter, from Sensormatic, said six of the first seven months of this year performed worse than the same period last year.
He said: “The exceptionally hot and historically dry weather is likely to have been a significant factor, discouraging shopping trips and particularly impacting high streets.
“While the UK has yet another new prime minister, retail is yet to experience any meaningful ‘Burnham bounce’. For retailers, the focus remains on converting these more selective visits into meaningful spend as the summer progresses.”
Parts of the country are set to be hit by thundery showers, but southern England is once again likely to miss out on most of the much-needed rain before a potential new heatwave.
Temperatures are are expected to be on the cooler side on Thursday, the Met Office said, after a spike at the start of the week. There will also be a marked North-South split in conditions.
British farmers, meanwhile, are facing a "completely brutal" year, with analysis suggesting the 2026 harvest could be the worst on record due to extreme summer weather.
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