Britain’s retailers endured another difficult month in July as persistent heatwave conditions continued to suppress shopper numbers, underlining the mounting challenges facing physical stores as extreme weather increasingly reshapes consumer behaviour.
Footfall across the UK fell 2.1 per cent compared with a year earlier, according to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic monitor.
While that represented an improvement on June’s 3.4 per cent decline, visitor numbers remained below last year’s levels for a sixth time in the first seven months of 2026.
High streets continued to bear the brunt of the downturn. Footfall fell 3.8 per cent year-on-year, although the decline eased from the 6.2 per cent contraction recorded in June.
Shopping centres also remained under pressure, with visitor numbers slipping 1.4 per cent after a 2.5 per cent decline the previous month.
England recorded the weakest regional performance, with overall footfall down 3 per cent. London proved particularly vulnerable, suffering a 5.3 per cent fall as soaring temperatures discouraged commuters and shoppers from travelling into the capital.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said unusually hot weather continued to weigh heavily on consumer activity, particularly in city centres where public transport became less attractive during periods of extreme heat.
She argued that climate change was increasingly forcing retailers to invest in cooling systems, refrigeration upgrades and other resilience measures, while warning that the current business rates system often penalises companies for making such capital investments.
The figures add to evidence that bricks-and-mortar retailers are facing structural as well as cyclical pressures. Alongside competition from online shopping, increasingly volatile weather patterns are making trading conditions less predictable and raising operating costs.
Andy Sumpter, retail consultant for EMEA at Sensormatic, said the prolonged spell of exceptionally hot and dry weather had discouraged discretionary shopping trips despite an easing from June’s record lows.
He added that retailers had yet to experience any meaningful boost in consumer confidence following the change of government, leaving businesses focused on converting fewer store visits into higher-value purchases during the remainder of the summer.
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