DUBLIN: The number of shoppers on the high street fell by 6.9% last month, according to today’s figures from retail analysts Springboard and the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium.
Overall shopper numbers fell by 4.5%, although there was a small rise in business at out-of-town developments. Footfall activity in high streets and shopping centres “has moved in opposite directions”, the report’s authors said.
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And the number of shops lying empty remains significantly higher than elsewhere in the UK, at 17.3% – compared to a UK rate of 9.8%.
Northern Ireland’s vacancy rate was up from 16.4%.
While the drop in football throughout the year has been similar to that across the UK as a whole, the last three months here has seen a “noticeable shift downward”, according to Diane Wehrle, marketing and insights director at Springboard.
