THE number of shoppers taking to the streets in Northern Ireland in August at its highest level since May, according to a survey.
However, the figure was still 2.4 per cent lower than the same month in 2014, the Springboard and British Retail Consortium report side.
Across the UK, footfall was 1.6 per cent lower in the month that a year ago.
Both high streets and shopping centres reported a decline, falling 2.3 per cent and 2.8 per cent respectively. But footfall in retail park locations increased 1.7 per cent year-on-year.
Diane Wehrle, Marketing and Insights Director at Springboard, said: “It is clear that high streets and shopping centres in Northern Ireland are once again under increasing pressure – footfall declined in high streets in August for the third month in a row and in shopping centres footfall has dropped in four of the past five months.
"Indeed, over the last month footfall in Northern Ireland’s shopping centres took a significant tumble, moving from 2.3 per cent in July to -5.5 per cent in August. In contrast, for high streets the position is improving, with the drop of 1.3 per cent in August being a significant improvement on the drop of 6.9 per cent in July."
Aodhán Connolly, director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium said: “However while this is a small positive step, the political instability currently seen in Northern Ireland will not have a positive effect on consumer confidence nor on the future investment plans for retailers in Northern Ireland. We urge the political parties to work together in this fresh round of talks to ensure that Northern Ireland nurtures an investment friendly atmosphere by providing certainty, clarity and stability.”
