Retail employees have called on the government to implement tougher measures against attackers after theft and abuse incidents have increased by 50 per cent.
UK Retailers: Stores in central London saw the biggest jump, with MRI - formerly called Springboard - estimating a 10.6% jump in footfall, probably because of an inflow of tourists for the holidays. Overall shopper numbers were still weaker compared to pre-pandemic figures, with footfall 14.9% lower than 2019 levels, reflecting the hit to household spending from inflation and the shift towards online shopping.
UK retailers expect sales to fall for the eighth straight month in December but the pace of decrease is forecast to slow amid uptick in sentiment, survey results from the Confederation of British Industry showed on Monday.