Scottish shopper footfall latest: How Edinburgh bucked August’s downward trend
“As attention begins to turn to the all-important golden quarter, retailers will be looking at these figures somewhat nervously” – David Lonsdale, SRC
Scotland’s shopkeepers are “nervous” heading into their most critical trading period after visits to retail destinations fell for a fourth successive month in August.
Industry leaders expressed disappointment at news of the 0.4 per cent year-on-year decline in footfall but pinned some of the blame on the disruption early on in the month caused by Storm Floris. The August dip was also an improvement on July’s 1.3 per cent slide in overall footfall.
A breakdown of the latest figures shows that retail park footfall fell by 1.3 per cent, compared with August 2024, while shopping centre footfall nudged up 0.8 per cent.
During August, footfall in Edinburgh jumped by 2.7 per cent, year on year, as the city’s famous festivals and sunny weather attracted custom, while footfall in Glasgow was down by 1.9 per cent, according to the data from the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and Sensormatic.
David Lonsdale, director of the SRC, said: “Visits to Scotland’s retail destinations fell for a fourth successive month in August. That said, the year-on-year decline was small and was the least-worst monthly footfall figure since April. The disruption early on in the month caused by Storm Floris didn’t help.
“Overall it was a mixed picture across retail destinations. With the city centre full to the gunwales due to Festival goers cramming the city’s streets Edinburgh turned in a good performance, considerably up on July and the best monthly result since April. Shopping centres also saw a modest improvement.
“As attention begins to turn to the all-important golden quarter, retailers will be looking at these figures somewhat nervously,” he added.
Andy Sumpter, retail consultant for Sensormatic Solutions, said: “For many, winning business hinges on service, which requires labour - and labour is more expensive than ever. The sector is resilient, but resilience alone won’t reignite momentum.
“To avoid flatlining becoming a new kind of normal, we need a spark. Whether that comes from creativity, collaboration, or external investment, one thing’s clear: retail still matters - and it needs the right conditions to thrive.”
The figures come after bosses at a major Scottish shopping centre hailed the success of a multi-million-pound makeover.
Eastgate Shopping Centre in Inverness has undergone a £8.5 million transformation over the past two years. Royal Bank of Scotland is said to have shown its confidence in the centre with a £2.5m flagship “super-branch” in Falcon Square, while Costa Coffee, Pizza Express and Pandora have all invested in expanded spaces.
Shop refits have been undertaken by Chisholm Hunter, Vision Express and H Samuel, with Timpson and Starbucks also planning refits in the next few months.
Mark Hewett, director at development manager Scoop Asset Management, said: “This programme of investment highlights the scale of our ambition for Eastgate and our confidence in Inverness as a vibrant retail and community destination.
“These upgrades not only improve the overall experience for shoppers, which is reflected in increased footfall in 2023/2024, but also the strength of our relationships with retailers and the commitment to continual improvement across the centre.”
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