LISTEN: Northern Ireland sees highest drop in high street footfall in the UK

By Q Radio News

Retail NI has urged the Executive to wake up to the huge threat to our high streets after retail experts Springboard revealed that Northern Ireland has the highest footfall drop in the UK.

Speaking about the latest figures, Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said:

“These figures are a stark illustration of the scale of the huge threat facing our high streets in Northern Ireland. As we have said before, we have now moved from a high streets' crisis to a full-blown emergency and the Executive needs to wake up to this”

“Translating this data means tens of thousands of jobs in retail, hospitality and the wider supply chain are at risk over the next few months”

Glyn Roberts - Retail NI

"Closing down the hospitality sector has been a hammer blow to our high streets with many of our members across Northern Ireland reporting a significant loss of trade and footfall. We have reports that some of our members have lost as much as 60% as a result of lost footfall”

“We have raised this issue with the Department for the Economy as their new support package aimed at businesses impacted by the closure of hospitality sector does not cover independent retail”

“As we approach Christmas, we need Government at all levels to work with the retail sector to ensure that shoppers have the confidence to visit our high streets and to spend local. It is also vital for our high streets that our hospitality sector is allowed to reopen at the end of this current circuit breaker”