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.
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.
