- author, Liz Cooper
- Role, BBC Midlands Today
Shoppers in the West Midlands have described waiting for post-Christmas sales to buy gifts as retail footfall figures drop.
The region saw one of the biggest falls in the UK in December compared to the previous year, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Shopper numbers fell by 6.3% overall, compared to the national average of 5%.
Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the Birmingham-based British Independent Retailers Association, said the monthly figures were “really disappointing”.
Stormy weather and continued caution in spending have been blamed for retailers across the UK seeing a decline in customers in December.
Visitor numbers in Glasgow and Manchester fell by 9.6% and 9.3% respectively, while numbers in Birmingham fell by 6.5%.
“December is a pivotal month… you need footfall, you need people on the streets looking around and buying,” Goodacre added.
“We are now in January and February, which are quiet months, and December sales are what help these companies get through those quiet months.”
He said shoppers in the West Midlands had been particularly deterred by inclement weather and he predicted more retailers would fail in 2024 than in previous years.
He added: “It has been a difficult year. The cost of living crisis meant that people were not able to spend as much as they normally would.”
Shoppers at the pottery center of Stoke-on-Trent described waiting for sales to buy Christmas gifts, and saving their money all year to buy what they ordered for loved ones.
However, center manager Amy Whittaker said that although the number of visitors was down, they were buying more.
“While I spent £30 last year, this year I probably spent £40 or £50,” she added. “There are fewer shoppers but a lot more bags.”