September marked a clear shift from summer to autumn across Scotland, with footfall across Scottish retail destinations falling 10.2% month on month, the steepest monthly decline recorded since 2010. As schools, colleges and universities reopened and commuters settled back into regular working patterns, the leisure-led visits that shaped the summer months gave way to more structured weekly routines. The annual picture is more balanced though, with overall footfall up 0.2% on September 2025. This suggests consumer demand hasn’t disappeared but is adjusting to more typical seasonal patterns after a summer boosted by holidays and several heatwaves.
High streets felt the change most, with footfall down 14.2% month on month and 0.7% year on year. Retail parks and shopping centres proved more resilient, recording annual growth of 1.6% and 0.6% respectively, despite monthly drops of 6.2% and 5.8%. MRI Software’s Insights from the Inside survey of over 700 store managers adds further detail, with 76% reporting a decline in in-store spending after the return to school as households moved towards more practical, necessity-led purchases. 82% said back-to-school spending stretched later into September than usual, suggesting families are spreading costs more carefully, while almost six in ten saw interest in seasonal products earlier than expected, pointing to an early start to Golden Quarter planning.
Shoppers also appear to be more selective about when they head out, with weekend footfall rising 2.0% year on year compared with a more modest 0.2% increase during the week. Consumer confidence has continued to strengthen according to NielsenIQ, but rising fuel and energy costs and uncertainty around the Autumn Budget could weigh on spending in the months ahead. October, with Halloween and early festive shopping on the horizon, will give a clearer sense of how consumers balance growing confidence against financial pressure. The retailers and destinations best placed to succeed will be those that understand not only when people are visiting, but why they’re choosing to do so.
Read the full report, here.
