Shoppers opted to stay at home, as last week footfall was 27.7% lower than the week before and 19.7% down on the same week in 2019, retail data analysts Springboard said.
It was only 7.2% higher than the same week in 2021, when shoppers stayed away from high streets due to the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid.
The retail experts said a key reason for this difference was that last week began on Christmas Day, a Sunday, when footfall is typically at its lowest, but the year before it began on Boxing Day.
There was a surge in shoppers on Boxing Day 2022, when footfall rose 38.8% higher than in 2021.
The gap between the end of 2021 and 2022 was at its narrowest on New Year’s Eve, with footfall 1.9% higher in 2022.
Read more at The Guardian
