UK high streets saw a marked drop in shopper numbers in July as heatwave conditions, with temperatures reaching the mid-30s Celsius in some areas, prompted many people to shop online instead. This continues a trend of declining footfall through the summer and highlights how extreme weather, alongside climate change more broadly, is reshaping consumer behaviour and creating uneven fortunes across the retail sector, with physical stores particularly exposed.

According to research from Sensormatic for the British Retail Consortium, high street visits fell 3.8% year-on-year in July, following a 6.2% drop in June, while shopping centre footfall also declined, though retail parks returned to growth. London was hit hardest with a 5.3% fall in shoppers, compared with 3% across England overall, while Scotland and Northern Ireland actually saw increases of 2.7% and 2.5% respectively, where the heat was less intense. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson called for reform of business rates to support retailers investing in cooling measures, while separately Next upgraded its profit guidance for the third time this year, crediting strong online sales despite weaker in-store trading during the heat.