The return of the workplace commute helped to convey folks again to excessive streets and city centres final month, however shopper numbers stay stubbornly under pre-pandemic ranges, new figures present.

The variety of folks going to retailers was up 10.4 per cent final month, in contrast with February final yr, however is 8.8 per cent down on 2019 ranges, in response to the newest BRC-Sensormatic IQmonitor.

The restoration was sharpest in conventional excessive streets and procuring centres, up by 17.8 per cent and 11.7 per cent, respectively, and pushed by the return of commuters to workplaces.

This was balanced by a decline in using out-of-town retail parks. Seen as safer options to busy excessive streets in the course of the pandemic, they skilled a 3.3 per cent decline in numbers final month.

Chilly climate, the excessive price of residing and a looming rise in family power payments contributed to conserving consumers away.

Helen Dickinson, chief government of the British Retail Consortium, stated: “Progress in footfall slowed this month after the frenzy of Christmas procuring and January gross sales. Some individuals are making fewer visits as the price of residing continues to bear down forward of the April power value rise.” She stated retailers had been investing of their “retailer expertise” however shopper confidence was weak and it was “important” that the federal government didn’t burden the retail business with further regulatory prices that hinder funding.

Richard Lim, a retail analyst, stated the information confirmed staff had been being “inspired to get again into the workplace a minimum of two or 3 times every week”.

A central London “again to the workplace” benchmark by Springboard discovered final month that footfall exercise at workplace hotspots had risen as staff returned to workplaces.

UK shopper confidence rebounded in February to its highest stage in virtually a yr, though GfK, the analysis group, stated it was “nonetheless severely depressed”.