Back-to-school rescues UK footfall as heat gets to shoppers in August, MRI

Published

September 4, 2026

Ongoing heatwaves (negative) and back-to-school season (positive) played their parts in defining the UK’s retail footfall across 2-30 August period.

Image: Pixabay

There was a clear shift from summer into preparing for BtS helping footfall across all UK retail destinations rise by 0.1% month on month and 1% year on year, according to MRI Software figures. It also highlighted more positive gains for Shopping Centres (+2.3%), less so for Retail parks (+0.8%), while high streets recorded “a more challenging month”, with activity falling by 1.2% month on month.

And the UK’s five heatwaves in less than three months disrupted visits across many towns and cities, particularly when temperatures approached 38°C in parts of southern England.

High streets were among the hardest hit with visits falling 9.5% week on week and 8.6% year on year on 13 August, while coastal destinations benefited (+2.4% week on week) as consumers sought relief closer to the seaside.

The opposite trend emerged during the final week of the month. Heavy rain and flash flooding across parts of the UK led to sharp declines in high street footfall (-3% on the week), while shopping centres (+2.4%) and retail parks (+1.4%) proved more resilient as consumers favoured indoor environments.

MRI said: “While the overall picture remained stable, the story was one of changing consumer priorities. Throughout August, shoppers likely combined retail, dining and leisure into a single journey, visiting destinations that offered convenience, experiences and value beyond shopping alone.

“Of course, back-to-school shopping dominated as a key footfall driver. Shopping centres, in particular, benefited from this trend, while MRI Software’s latest Insights from the Inside survey found that 50% of store managers saw back-to-School shopping build momentum throughout August.

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