UK high street footfall has been broadly flat or slightly negative in recent years, with total footfall declining around 0.8% year-on-year in 2025. That single figure tells you something important: the days of assuming any shopfront will get busy are over. If you are looking at a commercial space with high footfall as your main asset, you need to be far more careful about what “high footfall” actually means today.
I have been writing about UK commercial property for a while now, and the question I hear most often from people looking to rent retail space is some version of “how do I know the footfall is real?” It is a fair question. Landlords and agents will talk up passing trade, but the data tells a more complicated story. Footfall varies wildly by region, by month, and even by week. A street that looks busy in December can feel like a ghost town in February. My aim here is to give you a practical, research-backed way to cut through the sales pitch and make a decision you will not regret. Here is what you actually need to know.
Before you sign anything, you need to understand that footfall is not a single number you can trust at face value. It shifts with the seasons, the weather, and the local economy. A smart approach to renting urban street retail space starts with verifying the data yourself, not taking the landlord’s word for it. And if you are serious about protecting your investment, a tenant landlord lawyer can review the lease terms before you commit — especially the clauses about rent review and break options.
What “high footfall” actually means in 2026
It is tempting to think of footfall as a simple measure of how many people walk past your door. But the reality is more nuanced. Footfall is not just about volume — it is about the right kind of volume. A street packed with tourists might be great for a souvenir shop but useless for a dry cleaner. And footfall that peaks only on weekends will not sustain a weekday lunchtime café.
What I tend to notice is that people overestimate how much footfall matters for their specific business. A bakery and a phone repair shop have very different needs. The bakery needs morning and lunchtime rushes. The phone repair shop needs people who have time to wait. So when you look at a space, do not just ask “how many people pass by?” Ask “how many of them are my customers, and when are they here?”
Why the wrong space can drain your budget
The gap between prime and secondary locations is widening. According to CBRE’s UK Real Estate Market Outlook for 2026, vacancy rates in retail parks sit at just 6.1%, while major Central London streets are around 5% or below. That means the best spaces are nearly full, and landlords know it. Rents in those locations are rising. Meanwhile, secondary high streets and smaller shopping centres are struggling, with higher vacancy and little rental growth.
Here is a scenario to make it concrete. Imagine you are looking at two spaces. One is on a prime high street in a regional city. The rent is £60,000 a year. The other is in a retail park on the edge of town. The rent is £35,000 a year. The high street space might get 15,000 visitors a week. The retail park might get 10,000. But the retail park visitors are more likely to be driving, carrying shopping bags, and looking for convenience. They are also more likely to visit year-round, not just during seasonal peaks. The high street footfall could drop 20% in a quiet month. Which space is actually better value?
My own view is that many tenants overpay for perceived footfall on high streets that are actually in decline. If you are considering a space, spend a few days counting footfall yourself at different times. And check the local vacancy rate. A street with lots of empty shops is a warning sign, no matter how busy it looks on a Saturday. A guide to renting a boutique retail lease can help you think through the specific risks of smaller, character-driven spaces.
Where tenants get tripped up
Most mistakes come down to the same few patterns. Here are the ones I see most often, backed by the research.
Trusting a single footfall figure from the landlord
Landlords and agents often quote footfall data from a single source or a single time of year. That is misleading. Weekly footfall can fluctuate by -4% to +4% depending on season and events. A figure from December is useless for planning a February launch. You need to see at least 12 months of data, broken down by month and day of the week. If the landlord will not provide it, that is a red flag.
Ignoring the shift to experience-led retail
Consumer preferences are changing. People are spending more on experiences and less on material goods. That means a traditional fashion or gift shop on a high street may struggle, while a café, a fitness studio, or a healthcare clinic could thrive. The research from CBRE notes that owners are broadening tenant mixes to include food and beverage, leisure, and wellness. If your business does not fit that trend, you need to be very sure your location still works.
Overlooking the cost of business rates
The 2025 UK Budget introduced a new business rates multiplier system. For most smaller retailers, this is positive — rates are permanently reduced. But if your property has a rateable value above £500,000, you will face higher rates and increased operational costs. That is a direct hit to your bottom line. Check the rateable value before you sign, and factor it into your budget. A guide to service charge accounting fees can help you understand the full cost of a commercial lease beyond just the rent.
Assuming footfall equals sales
This is the biggest one. High footfall does not guarantee high sales. If the people walking past are not your target customers, you are paying a premium for nothing. A street full of office workers might be great for a sandwich shop but useless for a furniture store. And if your business relies on online integration — click-and-collect, in-store returns — you need a space that can handle that logistics, not just a busy pavement.
→ Scroll right to see all columns
| Location Type | Vacancy Rate | 5-Year Rental Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Parks | 6.1% | +4.7% |
| Central London (prime streets) | ~5% or below | Strong (supply shortage) |
| Shopping Centres (prime) | Near full occupancy | Greatest gain in 2025, recovering |
| Secondary High Streets | Higher (challenging) | Flat or negative |
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How to evaluate a high-footfall space properly
Here is a practical process I would follow if I were looking at a commercial space today. It is based on what the data tells us about where the market is heading.
Verify footfall data yourself
Do not rely on a single source. Ask the landlord for monthly footfall data going back at least two years. Cross-check it with publicly available data from local councils or business improvement districts. Spend at least three different days at the location — a weekday morning, a weekday afternoon, and a weekend. Count people yourself. Note the demographics. Are they families, office workers, tourists, or students? That will tell you more than any spreadsheet.
Check the local vacancy and rental trends
A street with a 10% vacancy rate is a different proposition from one with 2%. High vacancy means landlords are struggling to find tenants, which could mean lower footfall or higher costs. It also means you might have negotiating power on rent. But it also means the area may be in decline. Look at the CBRE data: retail parks have the lowest vacancy and strongest rental growth. If you are looking at a secondary high street, ask yourself why the vacancy is high and whether it is likely to improve.
Understand the new business rates system
The 2025 Budget changes are generally positive for smaller retailers, but the £500,000 threshold is a trap for larger spaces. If your rateable value is close to that line, get a professional valuation. A property lawyer can help you understand how the rates will affect your total occupancy cost. Do not assume the landlord’s estimate is accurate.
Plan for the future of retail
The market is polarising. Prime locations will keep getting more expensive. Secondary locations will need to adapt — turning into healthcare, leisure, or residential spaces. If you are renting a space, think about what the area will look like in five years. Is there regeneration planned? Are new transport links coming? Or is the area stagnating? The empty spaces crisis in UK towns and cities is a real issue, and you do not want to be stuck in a location that is heading that way.
- 1Verify footfall dataAsk for 2+ years of monthly data. Cross-check with local council or BID data. Count footfall yourself on three different days.
- 2Check vacancy and rental trendsLook at local vacancy rates. Compare with retail park and prime high street benchmarks. Use this to negotiate.
- 3Assess business rates impactGet the rateable value. If over £500,000, budget for higher costs. Use a property lawyer to verify the figures.
- 4Evaluate long-term area prospectsResearch regeneration plans, transport links, and demographic shifts. Avoid areas with high and rising vacancy.
Frequently asked questions
Can I negotiate rent if footfall drops? ▾
How do I know if footfall data is accurate? ▾
What is a good footfall number for a small shop? ▾
Are retail parks better than high streets now? ▾
Will business rates go up in 2026? ▾
Renting a high-footfall commercial space is not about finding the busiest street. It is about finding the right footfall for your business, at the right price, in a location that will stay strong. Do your own research, verify the data, and get professional advice on the lease. If this was useful, you might also want to read High Streets, High Rents: Is It Time for a UK Commercial Real Estate Revolution?
Sources and Further Reading
Top Tips for Navigating Commercial Rentals in the UK — A broader guide to the commercial leasing process, from finding a space to negotiating terms.
Essential Guide to Service Charge Agreements in the UK — Understand what you are actually paying for beyond the rent, and how to challenge unfair charges.
UK High Street Footfall Trends & Retail Property Performance Guide. Fraser Bond, 2025.
UK Real Estate Market Outlook 2026: Retail. CBRE, 2026.
Commercial Research Hub. Savills, 2025–2026.
