The number of consumers visiting shopping centres and city centre retail outlets in March was down 8 per cent compared with the same month in 2008, according to footfall statistics compiled by Experian.
Despite Easter falling early last year and inflating footfall for March 2008, Experian said the decline was “startling”.
The report also noted equivalent footfall figures for Northern Ireland show shopper numbers there increased 7 per cent in March compared with last year.
The North is the only region in the UK reporting a year-on-year rise in footfall.
