The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has reported a 12.6% decrease in the number of town centre shoppers in the three months to April – the worst drop in footfall since November 2009.

Over the three months, footfall was 2% lower than a year ago, down from a 1.8% increase in the previous three months. In contrast, indoor shopping centres, where shoppers could escape the adverse weather, recorded a small increase in footfall of 0.4% for April.

Scottish retailers fared worst, with shopper numbers down 12.6% in February-April, followed by an 8.9% decline in the East and 8.2% in Greater London. Wales was the only region to show increased footfall, with a rise of 0.6%.

Shop vacancies in town centres across the UK remained stable at 11.1% in April 2012.

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