Shoppers desert High Street after record rain storms

Some UK areas had their wettest July on record, despite media headlines full of ‘global boiling’ and suchlike alarmist psychobabble attempting to blame any unusually warm weather on humans. Even the Met Office had to admit it was ‘more like autumn than summer’. What a difference a year makes; after last year’s July record the Met Office proclaimed that ‘The chances of seeing 40°C days in the UK could be as much as 10 times more likely in the current climate than under a natural climate unaffected by human influence’. This July 20°C days or less were closer to the reality for many, but at least June was generally sunnier and warmer than usual.
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The number of people heading out to the shops fell for the first July in 14 years as the UK grappled with one of the wettest months on record, says BBC News.

Overall footfall was down by 0.3% in the first drop in July since 2009, said retail analysis firm Springboard.

High Streets were hit hardest but shopping centres and retail parks got a boost in visitor numbers.

Aside from the rain, the rising cost of living and rail disruption were also behind the fall, Springboard said.

It warned that shoppers could continue to stay away even if the weather picked up.

“It is inevitable that consumers’ attention will now turn towards planning for Christmas spending, which may well dampen footfall further in the latter part of the summer,” said Springboard’s Diane Wehrle.

Shoppers have been battling with one of the wettest Julys on record, according to provisional data.

Ms Wehrle said High Street footfall declined in part “due to the rain, as shoppers tend to gravitate towards either the covered environments of shopping centres or retail parks as they are easier to access by car.”

She added that High Streets in coastal towns were especially hard hit, with footfall dropping 4.6%, as the rain kept people away from beaches.

Full article here.