MRI Springboard predicts a strong Easter weekend for UK retail, with shoppers biding their time and waiting to make their purchases. The data company forecasts a much-needed 5.1% week-on-week increase in footfall across all UK retail destinations during the key three days of Easter weekend trading (7-9 April). Additionally, the gap from pre-pandemic footfall is expected to narrow with a marginal rise of +0.1% compared to Easter 2019.
Good Friday is expected to have the largest week-on-week increase of 10.3% across all UK retail destinations, with a 15% increase on high streets alone. This is great news for retail, following a decline of 0.1% in footfall during Easter 2022.
Over the entire Easter weekend, MRI Springboard anticipates the biggest increases in footfall to occur on UK high streets (+6.6%) due to Easter events designed to attract shoppers, and in UK retail parks (+5.1%) as shoppers use the weekend to improve their homes and gardens. A more modest increase in footfall of +2.5% from the previous week is expected in UK shopping centres.
MRI Springboard Predicts Easter Boost Based on Consumer Behavior
According to MRI Springboard, consumers are holding out for Easter and this has resulted in flat footfall over the last three weeks, with a week-on-week drop of -0.1%. In the past week, footfall dropped by 2.6% across all UK retail destinations from the previous week, with high street footfall falling by a significant 9.1% compared to 2022.
Insights Director at MRI Springboard, Diane Wehrle, believes that Easter 2023 is more likely to follow long-term trends in footfall over the bank holiday weekend, as recorded by MRI Springboard over the past 16 years. This trend typically shows an increase in footfall on Good Friday and Easter Saturday compared to the week before, with a drop on Easter Monday, reflecting the fact that many office-based employees are on leave and not in their offices on that day.
