Weathermaps and Retail Traffic Indices

The Synovate Retail Performance Weathermap

Launched in January 2002, the UK Retail Traffic Weathermap, created exclusively by Synovate Retail Performance, shows how the volume of shopper traffic entering retail stores is changing every month. A series of three maps showing the percentage change last month in relation to same month last year, the percentage change last month in relation to the previous month, and the percentage change predicted for the coming month based on data from the past five years, they provide a highly accurate barometer of shopper activity and a reflection of their true levels of economic confidence.

The sample base now covers over 1.02 billion shopper visits per annum to more than 5,000 retail outlets across high streets, retail parks, designer outlets and shopping centres/malls every month throughout the UK and is designed to be representative not only of location types, but also of the split between retail sectors (excluding grocery, CTN and minor retail services) as published by the ONS. The sample size and composition is reviewed and updated 3 times a year to ensure that it remains a true and current reflection of UK retailing.

The maps are divided into 5 areas based on composites of ONS reporting regions. These are Scotland and Northern Ireland, The North (comprising The North East, North West and Yorkshire/The Humber), The Midlands (comprising The West Midlands, East Midlands, and Eastern areas), Wales and The South West and London and The South East.



Why not sign up for your free pdf Retail Weathermap on each day of publication?


 
Retail Traffic Index (RTI)

Established in 1998, the UK's first and only true Retail Traffic Index (RTI)

Synovate Retail Performance combines retail traffic data from individual client stores to produce the most relied upon and credible Retail Traffic Index in the UK. This series of RTI's is the most representative of the UK retail scene, consisting of footfall data from 4600 different outlets (excluding the grocery, convenience and minor retail service sectors) across the UK and over 1.02bn shoppers per year from the broadest selection of retail brands, sectors and locations. We monitor retail outlets across high streets, retail parks, designer outlets, shopping centres and transport hubs. We supply our clients with national indices to show them the efficiency of their own marketing promotions as well as brand strength relative to the rest of UK.

The sample sectors (based on Office of National Statistics delineators) include high street fashion clothing and shoes, body care and beauty products, home improvements and DIY, stationery and books, music and entertainment, and mobile phones and communications.

The sample size and composition is updated three times a year to check relevance and accuracy and to avoid any bias. So that clients can fine tune their retail offer, reports are broken down into specialist categories: