UK Town Centre Footfall Rebounds Strongly in Early Spring as London and Northern Ireland Lead National Recovery
New data from Place Informatics, the UK’s leading visitor behaviour and footfall insight provider, reveals a sharp rebound in town and city centre footfall across the UK during March 2026, following a challenging February that saw visitor numbers decline in every nation and most regions.
According to the latest Place Informatics Regional Report, UK footfall increased by +2.36% year-on-year in March 2026, a significant turnaround from the -2.13% decline recorded in February. England rose +2.39%, Scotland climbed +2.89%, Wales returned to growth at +0.75%, while Northern Ireland recorded the strongest national performance at +3.32%.
London delivered the strongest regional growth in the UK, with footfall rising +4.50% year-on-year, followed by Northern Ireland (+3.32%), the South-East (+3.00%) and Scotland (+2.89). The East Midlands recorded the slowest growth at +0.51%, though all UK regions returned to positive growth in March after February’s widespread downturn.
The recovery follows a difficult February period in which UK footfall fell -2.13% year-on-year, with Yorkshire and the Humber experiencing the steepest decline at -4.80%, closely followed by the South-West (-4.71%) and East Midlands (-3.95%).
March’s resurgence suggests improving consumer confidence and stronger seasonal trading conditions heading into spring, particularly across major urban centres and destination towns. London’s continued recovery was driven by strong performances across local centres including Maida Vale (+6.71%), Kensal Rise (+6.71%), Wimbledon Village (+6.69%) and Canning Town (+6.62%).
Northern Ireland also posted standout results, with Lisburn leading the UK’s top-performing town centres at +7.30% year-on-year, followed by Belfast at +7.00%.
Across the wider UK, several towns demonstrated particularly strong growth. Top-performing locations included Braehead in Scotland (+6.80%), Fareham in the South East (+5.71%), Cheltenham in the South West (+5.10%), and Worcester in the West Midlands (+4.20%).
Year-to-date figures also point to improving momentum nationally. UK footfall is now running +0.52% ahead year-to-date, reversing February’s negative YTD position of -0.38%. England stands at +0.54% YTD, Scotland at +0.41%, Wales at +0.36%, and Northern Ireland at +0.66%.
Clive Hall, CEO of Place Informatics, commented, “March marks a very encouraging recovery for UK high streets and town centres following a difficult February. What’s particularly positive is that every UK region returned to growth, with London and Northern Ireland showing especially strong momentum. The data highlights the resilience of local centres and the importance of understanding regional visitor behaviour as consumer patterns continue to evolve.”
Place Informatics continues to support local authorities, BIDs, retailers, landlords, and developers with detailed visitor intelligence and behavioural insights to help drive footfall growth, investment, and long-term town centre resilience.
