July heatwave hits high street retail sales and footfall

The July heatwave dealt a heavy blow to high street retail, with new figures showing shoppers stayed away in significant numbers during the hottest weeks of the month. According to the British Retail Consortium, overall trips to high streets across the UK fell by 3.8% compared with the same month last year, and shopping centres saw even steeper declines. London was particularly badly hit, as soaring temperatures kept people indoors.

Local business owners felt the impact directly. In Brighouse, West Yorkshire, Kirsty, who runs the gift shop Simply Divine Things, said her sales dropped by 38% during one week when temperatures exceeded 30 degrees every day. She described it as a "double whammy" because other economic pressures were already affecting footfall. Despite the heat, some retailers managed to buck the trend. Shops selling technology, such as fans and air conditioning units, did well, and fashion was also expected to perform better. Garden plant sellers, however, suffered because the extreme heat and dry conditions meant fewer people were buying and planting.

Shoppers interviewed in the report offered mixed responses. One couple said they had tried to buy a fan online but, after waiting months, went to three shops only to find them sold out. Another person said she stayed at home in her garden with a drink and tended to her plants, while a mother with a pram said they stayed inside. Several admitted they switched to online shopping during the heatwave, and one woman noted she probably spent more money than usual.

Retailers are now looking at ways to adapt. The report suggested stores are investing in better air conditioning and airflow to make shopping more comfortable during extreme weather. With temperatures forecast to rise again next week, the worry is that the heat may continue to keep shoppers away from the high street.