Data released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) suggests shoppers are returning to the high street amid the cost of living crisis.

The total UK footfall improved by 2% in June 2022 compared to the month before, with the overall footfall sitting at 10.5% compared to the three-month average decline of 11.8%.

Footfall on high streets declined by 13.9% in June, which showed a 0.3% decline from May but an overall improvement on the three-month average decline of 14.8%.

England saw the lowest decline in shopping centre footfall with a 9.9% decrease, while Wales experienced a 12.7% fall, Northern Ireland 14.7% and Scotland 15.8%.

Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive of the BRC, said:

"The cost-of-living crisis appears to be driving more people to shop around for the best deal both online and in-store, with the number of visits to individual shops rising in June.

"This was boosted by the Jubilee celebrations and the summer heatwave, which more than compensated for the impact of the rail strikes on city centre footfall.

However, this has not translated into in-store and online sales, with volumes down significantly in recent months as consumers tightened their belts."

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