ATCM - Springboard
National High Street Index

December 2009 Commentary

Footfall in the UK's high streets increased by 11.2% from November to December
2009 (mirroring exactly the monthly change in December 2008) however, footfall
declined annually by 9.5% in December. This is a disappointing outcome for high
streets in the light of the 4% like for like increase in sales in December reported by
the BRC.

Moreover, whilst sales have seen a significant turnaround from a decline of 3% in
December 2008, the annual decline in footfall in high streets has worsened from a
decline of 8% in December 2008. This has meant that 2009 ended with a decrease
in footfall of 6.3% for the year across the UK's high streets. Indeed, not only is this
the greatest decline in footfall nationally since 2006, the rate of decline has
accelerated each year: from -4.4% in 2006, to -4.6% in 2007, to -5.8% in 2008 and
to -6.3% in 2009.

And whilst our regional cities appear to have fared slightly better than UK high
streets generally in 2009, the annual decline of 11.7% in their footfall over the last
two months of the year was nearly double the 4.7% decline reported in November
and December of 2008.

Trends in footfall from week to week throughout the month largely followed the
same pattern as those in 2008. However, the 14% uplift reported in the third week
of December 2008 did not materialise in 2009 - only a modest increase of 2.4%
was reported during week three this year (beginning 14 December) compared with
an increase of 13.8% in 2008.

This underperformance was most probably due to the adverse weather in the run up
to Christmas, although it was largely compensated by the more modest decline in
footfall in the fifth week of the month this year (-7.2% compared with -17.2% in the
same week in 2008). Indeed, whilst footfall on Christmas Eve was 9.8% lower this
year than last, footfall on Boxing Day - following the thaw of the first snow - was
14.4% higher than on Boxing Day in 2008.

All Towns and Cities

Regional Cities

Dec 08 to Dec 09

-9.5%

Dec 08 to Dec 09

-10.8%

Nov 08 to Nov 09

-15.4%

Nov 08 to Nov 09

-12.6%

Oct 08 to Oct 09

-6.3%

Oct 08 to Oct 09

-4.4%

Nov to Dec 09

11.2%

Nov to Dec 09

10.9%

Nov to Dec 08

11.2%

Nov to Dec 08

13.3%

Oct to Nov 09

-6.8%

Oct to Nov 09

-8.0%

Oct to Nov 08

1.0%

Oct to Nov 08

4.0%

Sep to Oct 09

1.5%

Sep to Oct 09

2.6%

Sep to Oct 08

2.3%

Sep to Oct 08

4.3%