Uncomfortable heat and storms see shoppers staying away from stores

SHOPPERS stayed away from their local stores in June due to extreme weather that had them avoiding high temperatures and severe thunderstorms, figures show.

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Total UK footfall fell by 1.8% year-on-year in June, a dip from May's 1.7% decline, according to British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic data.

The high street was particularly affected by the uncomfortable weather, suffering a 3% drop in shopper numbers on last June.

Even retail park and shopping centre footfall decreased, by 1.1% and 1.6% respectively.

However, there were more encouraging signs in some parts of the UK, with Manchester and Birmingham recording positive footfall for the third consecutive month due to popular new shops opening and major concerts drawing in crowds.