South East has biggest rise in number of people shopping on high streets in England

The number of people going in South East high streets went up by over 5% last month, which is the biggest rise in England.

The British Retail Consortium said the weather was a big factor, it was neither too hot nor too cold, leaving "retailers in the sweet spot for extra shopping trips."

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: "Footfall rose for the first time in over a year as mild temperatures combined with weak footfall last year led to strong growth in September.

"It was neither too hot nor too cold for customers, leaving retailers in the sweet spot for additional shopping trips.

"This compared positively to last year when the intense heatwave caused many people to stay home and delay purchases of autumnal clothes and products.

"Retail parks continued to perform particularly well as the increased rain drove some people towards shopping areas with nearby parking.

"While retailers will welcome this autumnal boost, it is the next few months, in the run up to Christmas, that are most important."

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