CIH has called for government action following the recent announcement that shoppers drifted away from the high street between May and July. According to the Springboard’s footfall study, the high street has seen the highest drop in footfall during the last 12 months of 2.6%.
Stuart Cook, CIH’s chief executive, said: “The government, or the self-styled Mary ‘Queen of Shops’ Portas, need to take quick action. High streets up and down the country are suffering; businesses that have traded for generations have closed their doors and now is the time for the coalition government to act.”
Mr Cook called on members to petition Mary Portas, via her website, which is located at www.maryportas.com.
Meanwhile the British Retail Consortium reported that overall footfall in UK stores in the three month period (May – July) was 1% lower than the same period a year earlier. Falling shopper numbers were driven by a 1.9% decline in people visiting out-of-town complexes. The report also found that 11% of town centre stores were vacant in May. The hardest hit locations were Wales (-9.2%), the West Midlands (-6.6%) and the East of England (-6.2%).
