This calendar shift means year-on-year comparisons for individual months can be misleading.

According to SRC-Sensormatic data for the four weeks to 3 May 2025, overall Scottish footfall rose by 6.9% year-on-year in April. Shopping centres saw a 6.2% increase, whilst retail parks enjoyed an 8.8% uplift. Major cities also benefited, with Edinburgh’s footfall up by 8.1% and Glasgow’s by 7.8%.

However, when analysing the combined March and April figures to negate the Easter timing effect, Scottish footfall showed a slight decrease of 0.6% compared to the same two-month period in 2024.

SRC director David Lonsdale said: “Foot-traffic to Scottish stores rebounded in April thanks in large part to the inclusion of Easter trading during the month as well as sunnier, drier weather.

“Retailers were hoping for a good performance over Easter after a dismal March and this welcome improvement was seen across all retail destinations, with retail parks in particular faring well.”

He continued: “In a growth-challenged environment and set against a backdrop of geo-political turbulence, these rosier footfall figures provide some grounds for guarded optimism.

“Clearly, it remains to be seen how it all translates into shoppers’ propensity to spend and actual retail sales. What we do know is that the health and vitality of retailing in our larger town and city centres is ultimately dependent on the patronage of shoppers and buoyant consumer spending.

“As such the First Minister’s announcement of the scrapping of peak rail fares from September is an encouraging move that should hopefully entice more shoppers into our larger conurbations this autumn and provide a welcome fillip to footfall.”

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, said: “April brought a welcome rebound in footfall, with UK shopper numbers rising +7.2% year-on-year across all retail destinations.

“The combination of Easter trading and the sunniest April on record helped entice consumers back into stores. High Streets and Shopping Centres both saw solid gains of +5.3% and 5.6% respectively. Retail Parks continued to outperform at 7.5%, reinforcing their role as a resilient format.

“Looking at March and April together however, the overall picture for Scotland is more cautious, with footfall across the two months down 0.6% year-on-year. While this suggests that April’s gains almost offset March’s dip, it also highlights the importance of sustained engagement beyond seasonal peaks. Retailers will now be looking to build on this momentum as we move into the summer months.”