Two December retail footfall performance reports, two conflicting views. Having already disagreed on the outcome for Boxing Day retail visits, MRI Software and BRC/Sensormatic have now failed to come close to an agreement on the wider December performance.

“A festive boost… UK retail ending 2025 on a far stronger note… the biggest annual uplift for the month since 2011”, claimed MRI Software.

“Disappointing, with December footfall declining across all shopping locations”, countered BRC-Sensormatic, under the heading: ‘Footfall falters as shoppers hold out for sales’.

Why the difference?

The key point may be that each set of numbers is based on slightly different criteria. Also, Sensormatic is focused on shoppers entering individual stores rather than retail locations overall. And with wider locations staying open later than individual stores, due to consumers perhaps visiting a mall for a meal and the cinema, it’s no surprise that numbers vary.

So lets look at their individual numbers and views. Retail tech specialist MRI Software said December footfall rose 1.3% year on year, “driven by a sharp rise in evening and night-time visits”, up 5.3% after 5pm, “as shoppers increasingly combined retail with dining, leisure, and socialising”.

High streets led annual growth (+2%), followed by retail parks (+1.2%) and shopping centres (+0.1%), “reinforcing the role of experience-led trips in driving footfall”.

Again, it noted Boxing Day had been “the standout trading day, recording its strongest performance in a decade” where footfall rose 4.4% year on year across all retail destinations, with evening visits up almost +10%, “underlining how post-Christmas trading is shifting away from purely transactional shopping towards social and experiential activity”.

While the final week of the year saw a natural drop week on week following peak festive days, annual footfall remained firmly in growth (+4.6%), supported by strong trends in Central London and historic towns as people likely visited for sales, theatre trips and seasonal attractions.

It said: “Encouragingly, this marks the strongest annual uplift in December since 2011, driven not just by daytime visits but by a significant rise… in evening and night-time footfall after 5pm. This reinforces a trend that was prominent in 2025 with the growing role of leisure, hospitality and experience-led visits in supporting retail performance, especially in town and city centres.

“Retail stores and destinations need to embrace data and insights as a core part of their strategy; using real-time data and digital engagement to respond to how shoppers are behaving on the ground, reinforces that future footfall growth is likely to be driven by experience, agility and smarter use of data, not store presence alone.”

Grimmer view

And now for BRC/Sensormatic’s bleaker report for the slightly wider five-week (30 November-3 January) period. It said total UK footfall fell 2.9% in December (YoY), down from -0.8% in November.

High Street footfall dipped 0.9% in the month December (YoY), up from -1.2% in November, while Retail Park footfall fell 2.5%, down from -0.4% in November, and Shopping Centre footfall was hit the biggest, down 5.1% in December (YoY), and sipped 1.3% compared to  November.

It also noted footfall fell year-on-year across all nations: down 1.5% in Scotland, by 1.7% in Northern Ireland, while the largest decrease of 3.1% came in both England and Wales.

BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “It was a disappointing December for retailers as footfall declined across all shopping locations, as well as in the major cities. In the face of rising bills and food costs, many consumers held off for post-Christmas sales, with the week after Christmas the only one to see a significant uplift. Shoppers were also browsing less in the lead up to Christmas, making fewer, but more targeted shopping trips, particularly in Shopping Centres, which saw the largest drop in footfall.

“Last month’s figures capped a challenging year, with total shopper traffic down in 2025. This marks the third consecutive year of annual footfall decline, reflecting the continuing evolution in shopping habits and the retail landscape. Those shopping locations which have bucked the trend have done so by creating a complete offering, making themselves a destination for shopping, eating, drinking and leisure activities.”

Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic, also said: “December marked the eighth consecutive month of declining footfall, with UK shopper traffic down -2.9% year-on-year, bringing the golden quarter to a muted -2.2%. High Streets proved most resilient at -0.9%, while Shopping Centres fell -5.1% and Retail Parks dipped -2.5%.

“Retail hasn’t necessarily got harder; it’s just become less forgiving – from shifting consumer demand to rising cost-bases across labour and business rate reform. This means retailers must break the cycle where cost-cutting impedes investment in the capabilities and services needed for sustainable growth.

“Yet, despite the challenges, there are still pockets of demand to be tapped. Shopper traffic rallied outside traditional peak days, showing festive buying patterns are changing. And while UK footfall fell year-on-year, it was the second strongest among G7 markets in December – a sign of resilience in a tough trading climate.”

And MRI Software’s outlook? “While December delivered a welcome uplift, retailers remain cautious about the weeks ahead. [Our] latest Insights from the Inside survey shows 76% of retailers expect January sales to be lower than last year, reflecting the ongoing pressure on consumer spending despite improved footfall.”

That said, he added that there are “early signs of resilience carrying into the new year. Thirty-eight percent of retailers say Christmas returns have already delivered a positive impact on sales, helping to sustain footfall into early January and offering a valuable opportunity to re-engage shoppers post-Christmas.”