Scottish retail footfall rose +2.1% month-on-month in April, with high streets leading the way at +3.7% – buoyed by Easter events, seasonal activations and brighter weather. Retail parks and shopping centres saw only marginal gains of +0.4%, suggesting April’s uplift was driven by event and leisure visits rather than consistent destination shopping.
Year-on-year, the picture remains more challenging, with high street footfall still running -5.4% below April 2025 levels – likely reflecting the shift in Easter timing, which fell in the final week of March this year.
April’s performance followed a clear pattern: a post-Easter dip in the first week gave way to a mid-month lull as consumers returned to routine, before momentum recovered in the final week ahead of the early May bank holiday. Coastal towns performed particularly well, recording an +8.8% month-on-month increase in visits.
The broader trend points to footfall increasingly being driven by moments – seasonal events, weather and cultural occasions – rather than habitual shopping. For retail destinations, the ability to capitalise on these peaks, and convert short-term surges into sustained engagement, will be key through the spring and summer months.
You can read the full April 2026 Footfall Monitor and Insights Report, here.
