BRC records sharpest decline in footfall in the three months to October since the blizzards in December 2010, with both high street and out-of-town retailers affected.
Footfall between August and October this year was down 2.3%, compared with the same period last year, according to the latest figures from the BRC. All types of retail locations were shown to have been affected, with footfall in high street and shopping centres down 2.5% and out-of-town locations falling by 2% in the period. In fact, over the past 12 months, high streets on average have seen the biggest decline in footfall, down 2.7%.

Areas that recorded the sharpest decline in footfall were the West Midlands, down 10.4%, Scotland, down 9% and Northern Ireland, which reported a 5.5% fall. Meanwhile the south east and Wales held up the best, with footfall increases of 2.9% and 1.8% respectively, followed by Greater London, with a marginal decline of 0.1%.

BRC director general Stephen Robertson said of the figures: "In October, UK high streets saw the sharpest drop in footfall since last December's blizzards. A successful Christmas will be a lifeline for many retailers and they will be hoping that sort of disruption doesn't add to their woes this time around."

The BRC also revealed that the national town centre vacancy rate was 11.1% in October, with Northern Ireland above average, with a rate of 12.9%, closely followed by the East Midlands with a 12.7% vacancy rate and the north and Yorkshire at 12.5%.

Mr Robertson continued: "The town centre vacancy rate hasn't worsened but is still alarmingly high. Consumer confidence remains weak with households' budgets caught between soaring utility and fuel bills and low wage growth. This toxic mix has left people with less money to spend this Christmas than last and that's stopping people shopping."

In a bid to stimulate spending, stores are running early promotions and special events and Mr Robertson added that, "retailers will be hoping that the quiet quarter reflected in these figures is the result of households postponing their seasonal spending rather than cancelling it altogether."