The data indicates that footfall across the UK on Saturday 12th September and Saturday 5th September was 40% below pre-lockdown levels, which is 3% higher compared to Saturday 29th August.
Footfall on Sunday 13th September and Sunday 6th September (-38% and -37%) was 5% lower than Sunday 30th August (-33%), but this is likely due to the warm weather seen over the Bank Holiday weekend, said Julian Ross, chief executive of Wireless Social.
In London, footfall on Saturday 12th and 5th September was tracking at 40% below pre-lockdown levels, which is an increase of 3% compared to Saturday 29th August (-43%).
“It is still evident that much of this increased traffic is being driven by the London ‘village’ areas, in the likes of Richmond, Wimbledon and Hampstead, where footfall on Saturday 5th September was much higher, at 25% below pre-lockdown levels, compared to the West End (-56%), the City (-62%) and Canary Wharf (-68%).”
Not every major UK city has experienced an increase in footfall however, as the data indicates there was a drop in traffic by 19% in Liverpool on Saturday 12th September (-32%), compared to Sunday 30th August (-13%).
This is the largest decrease in footfall seen, echoed by Edinburgh’s figures, which show a drop of 19% from Saturday 12th September (-43%) and Saturday 29th August (-24%).
However, despite the data indicating an overall rise in week-on-week footfall, the growing number of local lockdown restrictions being imposed, coupled with the recent government announcement to limit social gatherings to no more than six people which went live on 14th September, it’s possible that an impact could be felt on consumer confidence and future footfall.
Ross added: “It’s really encouraging that overall footfall is continuing to climb, and people have been gaining confidence in returning to support their favourite bars and restaurants.
“However, with the recent government announcements around social restrictions, it may have an impact on that level of trust and comfort and we are already seeing a decline in some cities.
“The government’s announcement around mandatory track and trace procedures should have a positive impact on this however, as it will go some way to ensuring visitors feel safe and comfortable in venues. We hope that despite these extra measures being put in place they continue to encourage the general public to support the hospitality industry and assure them that it is safe.”
Wireless Social, in partnership with analytics company Purple AI, launched track and trace software in August, as a free add on to its Wi-Fi services. It is now successfully being used in more than 2,200 venues across the UK, with more than 1.6m users to date.