Coronavirus (COVID-19) Report
Retail footfall in CEE plummets 76% as COVID-19 cases soar.
Across Europe there have been over 10,000 deaths since the first confirmed case of coronavirus in Bordeaux, France on the 24th January 2020. With closed borders, travel restrictions, school closures, daily government updates and lockdowns in Central and Eastern Europe, shopping centres saw footfall decline drastically between 23-29 March 2020 – with a year on year drop of 76.2%.
A slight increase before an unprecedented decline
As an expert in footfall intelligence, Reveal Systems provides people counting, data analysis and interpretation. Looking at the latest Reveal Index data from our installed base in Central and Eastern Europe, we discovered a slight boost of 1.6% in the week commencing 10 February 2020, before slumping to record lows throughout February and March.
The colossal 76% plunge in footfall in March 2020 represents an unprecedented decline across our portfolio, with retailers hugely affected by Government measures, warning consumers to remain indoors unless shopping for essential items.
Summarising the mammoth fall in footfall throughout Central and Eastern Europe, Reveal Systems CEO, Russell Edwards, said:
“So often we call on our many years of experience to analyse situations and predict possible timescales for future change. In these unprecedented times we have no experience on this scale and in the short term we can only watch what is happening day to day. The real work will start as soon as the lockdowns ease and the population starts to return to a new way of life. In that period our systems will be invaluable to our clients as they track visitors in and around their assets. Our thoughts go out to the people who have suffered tragic loss and distress. We would also send our thanks and support to the millions of care workers and the people still working to keep food chains active around the World.”
