Covid in Scotland: Shop footfall 'falls like a stone'

Footfall "fell like a stone" on Scotland's high streets last month as lockdown restrictions took hold, according to a retail industry survey.

Scottish Retail Consortium data found footfall plummeted year-on-year by more than 50% in December.

SRC said shops were "caught in a pincer movement" between local lockdowns at the start of the month and a nationwide lockdown at the end of December.

Glasgow fared particularly badly, with shopper numbers falling by almost 60%.

It was the fourth monthly decline of more than 50% for the city since the onset of the pandemic.

The average decline in footfall for the UK as a whole in December was 46.1%.

However, Scotland saw the shallowest decline in shopping centre footfall, at 43.8%.

SRC said last month overall saw the worst performance since the first national lockdown ended for non-food shops back in June.

Director David Lonsdale said that with stores shuttered and shoppers heeding government advice to stay home, the decline was especially pronounced during the week immediately after Christmas.

He added: "This is an unnerving start to the year for many retailers.

"Even when stores are eventually permitted to re-emerge from this enforced hibernation, it is likely many will continue to suffer from lower shopper footfall."

ShopperTrak retail consultant Andy Sumpter said not even the advent of festive season could turn around the fortunes of the high street last month.

He added: "As infection rates soared, fears of a mutated virus spread and Christmas gatherings were called into question or cancelled, it was really was a case of 'the strain that stole Christmas' for retailers."