UK high streets have seen a significant drop in footfall, declining by 4.8% between Sunday and Wednesday, as fears of further rioting and looting have kept shoppers away.
The unrest, which followed widespread vandalism and looting across England, has particularly impacted Northern England and Yorkshire, where footfall fell by 12.9%. The West Midlands also saw a significant decrease of 10.6%.
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On Wednesday alone, footfall on high streets dropped by 7.5% due to concerns over potential new riots and counter-protests. Many shops and businesses boarded up or closed early in response to police warnings about possible unrest from over 100 far-right rallies. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) held a meeting with about 190 retail representatives to discuss the safety of shop staff amid the ongoing unrest.
Source: www.theguardian.com