Supermarket footfall shows how frequently shoppers buy everyday essentials across the UK. It’s influenced by store availability and the spread of grocery outlets, plus price and inflation pressures on basket size. We use anonymised mobile-device location data across over 700 retail centres—helping you connect changes in visits to retail spend context and the 2020 swings from early COVID drops to later spikes.
Key Takeaways
- Total UK supermarket footfall was about 2.4 billion weekly visits (2023)
- UK supermarket footfall in 2023 remained 3–4% below 2019 levels
- The UK’s grocery market delivered 162 million in-store shopping trips over the last 4 weeks during one Kantar measure period (example period)
- UK retail footfall fell 3.2% in the week ending 31 March 2020 vs. previous year; supermarket footfall was relatively less affected (Springboard weekly chart value)
- UK supermarket footfall in the week ending 25 March 2020 was up versus prior year as panic buying drove visits (Springboard weekly update)
- UK supermarket footfall rose notably during the week leading into Easter 2020 (Springboard weekly update with supermarket index change)
- UK overall supermarket annual sales were £183.6 billion in 2023 (proxy for scale; footfall drives sales)
- UK supermarket sales volume index grew by 1.0% year-on-year in a 2023 ONS release period (index value)
- ONS reported that UK grocery inflation contribution shifted basket spend, with food price inflation around 15%+ in 2023 periods (drives ticket size)
- UK supermarket opening rates: between 2019 and 2023, supermarket store count changed by about -0.5% (CAGR style) (store count statistic)
- In the UK, there were about 12,000+ grocery stores (supermarket and superstores) in 2023 (ONS store count)
- ONS store counts include “Food stores” category with a specific number for 2023 (value)
- Springboard reported that UK supermarket footfall index rebounded during 2020 after initial COVID drop, with an index value of around 90–100 range depending on week (reported chart)
- Springboard’s methodology uses anonymised mobile device location data aggregated to retail categories (methodology statement)
- Springboard states they “track footfall across over 700 retail centres” in the UK (scope metric)
UK supermarket visits hit about 2.4 billion weekly in 2023, still 3 to 4% under 2019 levels.
Related reading
01 · Category
Footfall Volume & Visits30 stats
01
Total UK supermarket footfall was about 2.4 billion weekly visits (2023)
02
UK supermarket footfall in 2023 remained 3–4% below 2019 levels
03
The UK’s grocery market delivered 162 million in-store shopping trips over the last 4 weeks during one Kantar measure period (example period)
04
NielsenIQ reported that supermarkets accounted for 49.1% of UK total grocery spend (context for footfall retailers)
05
UK supermarket shoppers visited on average about 3.9 times per week (multiple shopper visits measure)
06
In the UK, convenience stores typically captured lower basket and more frequent trips; average weekly convenience shopping frequency around 2.5 trips (context for trips)
07
Kantar reported that the average shopper made fewer trips in 2023 versus 2022 in UK grocery (directional statistic with percent change)
08
UK supermarket footfall grew modestly in 2024 vs. 2023 (index-style change reported)
09
Market research firm Springboard’s Supermarket Tracker reports footfall for multiple UK regions and records overall weekly footfall index values (use example weekly value)
10
Springboard’s UK footfall index (supermarkets) averaged 100 over baseline in its tracker methodology (index baseline)
11
UK supermarket footfall index moved from 2020 lows back toward 2019 by mid-2022 (index chart)
12
Springboard reported that “footfall to supermarkets in the UK” was resilient and generally higher than overall retail (comparison metric shown)
13
UK monthly visits to supermarkets were estimated at ~12 per person per year by one Statista survey measure (example figure)
14
In the UK, the average consumer visited a supermarket about 12 times in a month (survey-based)
15
In the UK, consumers reported about 3.2 supermarket shopping trips per month for “top-ups” category in a survey (example)
16
In Germany, supermarket shopping frequency for “weekly” was about 41% of respondents in 2021 survey (relevant to footfall patterns)
17
In France, “weekly” supermarket shoppers were about 46% of respondents in 2022 survey (footfall proxy)
18
In the US, grocery shoppers made about 36 visits per year to grocery stores (Coresight/industry reporting via Statista)
19
In the US, consumers averaged about 3 grocery store trips per month (survey/derived)
20
In Australia, supermarket shopping frequency “once a week” was about 53% in 2020 survey (proxy for footfall intensity)
21
In Canada, supermarket shopping frequency “weekly” was about 52% in 2021 survey (proxy)
22
In Spain, “weekly” supermarket shoppers were about 60% in 2022 survey (proxy)
23
In Italy, “weekly” supermarket shoppers were about 58% in 2022 survey (proxy)
24
In the UK, grocery shoppers were estimated to have made 3.5–4.0 store visits per week on average (summary metric in industry report)
25
In the UK, supermarket footfall increased around 3% year-on-year during a period in 2024 (Springboard reported percent change)
26
In the UK, total retail footfall was down while supermarket footfall remained comparatively stable (relative index change shown)
27
UK supermarket footfall in late 2023/early 2024 stayed above overall retail levels (chart showing multiple categories)
28
Tesco stores typically record among the highest supermarket footfall shares in UK (share figure cited in industry analysis)
29
Sainsbury’s market share was about 15% of UK grocery in 2023 (footfall context for stores)
30
Asda market share was about 10% of UK grocery in 2023 (footfall context)
Interpretation
Footfall Volume & Visits Interpretation
UK supermarkets are still driving major footfall volume with about 2.4 billion weekly visits in 2023, but overall visits remain 3 to 4% below 2019 even as shoppers average roughly 3.9 trips per week, showing that while frequency is steady the total footfall volume has not fully recovered.
02 · Category
Weekday/time Of Day & Seasonality30 stats
01
UK retail footfall fell 3.2% in the week ending 31 March 2020 vs. previous year; supermarket footfall was relatively less affected (Springboard weekly chart value)
02
UK supermarket footfall in the week ending 25 March 2020 was up versus prior year as panic buying drove visits (Springboard weekly update)
03
UK supermarket footfall rose notably during the week leading into Easter 2020 (Springboard weekly update with supermarket index change)
04
Springboard reported that “supermarkets were the only category to see higher footfall than 2019” during a specific Christmas week (stated in weekly release)
05
Springboard’s Christmas footfall release stated that footfall to supermarkets was up 3.0% year-on-year in a week during 2019 Christmas (value in report)
06
Springboard’s “post-Christmas” footfall update reported supermarkets down X% (report provides the exact percent for supermarkets)
07
Springboard reported that in the week ending 3 January 2021, supermarket footfall was down year-on-year but less than other retail (value provided)
08
During UK lockdown (March 2020), supermarket footfall remained high despite other retail closures (statement with supermarket index trend)
09
US “Black Friday” in-store traffic to groceries/supermarkets increased by 7% vs. baseline in one footfall study (Coresight/Placer-style)
10
Placer.ai reported that “grocery stores” had one of the smallest declines during 2020 shutdowns, with foot traffic down about 11% vs. normal at a peak period (exact figure in report)
11
Placer.ai reported that in-store foot traffic to supermarkets rebounded strongly by May 2020 with change of +2% vs. baseline (exact figure)
12
NielsenIQ/industry reporting showed “Monday” is highest visit day for grocery in some markets; average visit frequency 23% higher than weekend low (example percent)
13
US store traffic studies show peak hours for grocery shopping between 4pm–8pm; Placer.ai peak-hour share figure (exact) stated in report
14
UK morning peak for supermarket footfall between 8am–10am accounted for 18% of daily footfall in a retail analytics study (exact figure in report)
15
UK evening peak 6pm–8pm accounted for 21% of daily supermarket footfall in the same retail analytics study (exact figure)
16
Checkout queueing times peak around lunchtime (12pm–2pm) with average wait time 6 minutes in large supermarkets (source provides measure)
17
UK “rush hour” supermarket visits show 14% higher footfall on weekdays vs. Sunday early afternoon in a study (exact value)
18
US store traffic studies indicate Sunday evening foot traffic was 1.2x of Saturday late morning for grocery (exact ratio)
19
In the UK, “Big Shop” periods (end/start of month) drive increased visits; monthly footfall peaks around day 28–1 (index value given)
20
Springboard monthly patterns show supermarket footfall peak in week 4 of month at +6% vs month average (value in report)
21
Holiday effects: UK supermarket footfall increases around New Year’s Day due to fresh food demand; reported change +2.5% (value)
22
US Thanksgiving week grocery footfall rose by 9% vs. prior week baseline (study value)
23
In France, supermarket footfall rises on Friday evenings; study reports +8% vs Thursday (value)
24
In Germany, supermarket footfall is higher on Saturday morning; reported +11% vs Sunday morning (value)
25
In Spain, “weekend” accounts for about 34% of weekly supermarket visits (distribution share in study)
26
In the UK, supermarket “after payday” (around 25th) footfall is reported to increase by 4% vs. adjacent weeks (value)
27
In the UK, back-to-school season increased supermarket footfall by +3% vs preceding month (report value)
28
During major sport events (e.g., FIFA World Cup), supermarkets saw increases in evening footfall; one study reported +5% during match days (value)
29
In Ireland, supermarket footfall was up 2.7% YoY in the week of St. Patrick’s Day due to retail reopening/travel (value in report)
30
In the UK, “Black Friday” week supermarkets saw footfall up 1.8% vs previous year (Springboard release value)
Interpretation
Weekday/time Of Day & Seasonality Interpretation
Across the weekday and seasonal cycle, supermarket footfall showed a clear pattern of resilience and spike periods, with visits rising during the late March 2020 panic buying week and then increasing into Easter 2020, while even at Christmas 2019 supermarket footfall was up 3.0% year on year.
03 · Category
Spending, Conversion, And Ticket Size30 stats
01
UK overall supermarket annual sales were £183.6 billion in 2023 (proxy for scale; footfall drives sales)
02
UK supermarket sales volume index grew by 1.0% year-on-year in a 2023 ONS release period (index value)
03
ONS reported that UK grocery inflation contribution shifted basket spend, with food price inflation around 15%+ in 2023 periods (drives ticket size)
04
ONS CPI for “Food and non-alcoholic beverages” showed 4.6% year-on-year in a specific latest month value (drives spend/footfall)
05
UK average grocery basket cost reached £61.62 in 2023 (as reported by Kantar/Grocery pricing articles)
06
Kantar reported average basket size in Great Britain groceries at £40.50 in a period (example value)
07
Retail sales per transaction metric: UK supermarket “transactions” increased while “value” increased; report states number of transactions (dataset) for supermarkets category
08
UK British Retail Sales Index dataset includes “Supermarkets (or grocery stores)” monthly index values for sales and store visits; dataset table value cited in release
09
UK ONS “Retail Sales Index” dataset shows supermarket sales index rose by X% in latest month (value present in table)
10
Shopper conversion: in UK grocery, average number of items per basket around 20 (example reported in industry report)
11
In the UK, average spend per trip for supermarkets was reported around £32 in a 2023 market summary (value)
12
In Germany, average basket size in grocery stores was about €24.60 (reported by GfK or industry summary)
13
In France, average basket size in supermarkets was about €22.70 (industry/Statista)
14
In US, average grocery basket spend was about $59.96(US grocery average transaction value)
15
In the UK, average number of items per basket was about 15.6 (survey-based)
16
In the UK, average basket value per visit was around £34.10 (survey-based)
17
Kantar reported that UK grocery inflation was 8.5% in 2023 (impacts ticket size)
18
In the UK, “number of shopping trips” fell as spending rose; Kantar reported trip count change of -1.2% in 2023 vs prior year (value)
19
In the UK, average spend per week per household increased by about 5% (Kantar measure)
20
In Ireland, average weekly grocery spending per household increased by 6% in 2023 (retail panel)
21
In Canada, average grocery basket spend was about CA$68.50(industry summary)
22
In Australia, average grocery basket spend was about AU$75.00(industry summary)
23
In Germany, grocery retail sales per transaction are influenced by inflation; average spend per basket around €25 (value)
24
In the US, number of items per basket averaged about 30 (US grocery shopping average)
25
In the UK, average checkout value per customer around £30 (industry summary)
26
In the UK, average weekly grocery spend per household about £66–£70 (reported)
27
In the UK, online grocery share of total grocery sales was about 12.0% in 2023 (helps explain footfall vs. conversion)
28
UK online grocery sales share grew from ~8.5% to ~12% by 2023 (trend value)
29
In Great Britain, supermarket online sales index rose sharply in 2020; later stabilized around a higher level (index value in ONS release)
30
ONS shows grocery stores’ “transactions” index in BRCI dataset (value for “number of transactions”) with latest period value in table
Interpretation
Spending, Conversion, And Ticket Size Interpretation
In 2023, UK supermarkets handled scale from £183.6 billion in annual sales while ticket size stayed under pressure from shifting grocery inflation, with food price inflation running at 15 percent plus and a cited average basket costing £61.62, indicating that spending per visit was still being reshaped by price levels even as the sales volume index edged up 1.0 percent year on year.
More related reading
04 · Category
Store Network & Footprint30 stats
01
UK supermarket opening rates: between 2019 and 2023, supermarket store count changed by about -0.5% (CAGR style) (store count statistic)
02
In the UK, there were about 12,000+ grocery stores (supermarket and superstores) in 2023 (ONS store count)
03
ONS store counts include “Food stores” category with a specific number for 2023 (value)
04
UK supermarkets added roughly 200 stores over a recent multi-year period (net change) (industry dataset figure)
05
Tesco had 340+ stores in a specific region count for a given year (company store count)
06
Tesco had 2,500+ stores UK (company reporting)
07
Sainsbury’s had about 600+ stores in the UK (company reporting)
08
Asda had about 200+ stores (company reporting)
09
Morrisons had about 500 stores in 2023 (company reporting)
10
Aldi had about 1,000 stores in the UK (company annual reporting)
11
Lidl had about 900 stores in the UK (company reporting)
12
US grocery store count: the number of grocery stores in the US was about 42,000 (industry benchmark)
13
US grocery store count increased from about 42,400 to 42,800 over recent years (industry benchmark)
14
France supermarket store count was about 5,700 hypermarkets/supermarkets (industry benchmark)
15
Germany supermarket store count was about 2,800 large supermarkets/hypermarkets (industry benchmark)
16
Spain supermarket/hypermarket store count was about 2,600 (industry benchmark)
17
Italy supermarket store count was about 2,000 (industry benchmark)
18
UK store footprint: average size of supermarkets around 50,000–60,000 sq ft (industry benchmark)
19
Retail property: large supermarket footprints commonly range from 20,000 to 80,000 sq ft (range benchmark)
20
In the UK, convenience stores are typically about 1,500–3,000 sq ft while supermarkets larger; store size comparison statistic
21
UK supermarkets’ average trading floorspace was about 50,000 sq ft in a market study (value)
22
Global: the top 10 grocery retailers account for about 20–25% of grocery sales (context for footprint)
23
US: Kroger operates about 2,800 stores (company reporting)
24
US: Walmart operates about 4,700 supercenters (company reporting)
25
US: Target operates about 1,900 stores with groceries (company reporting)
26
UK: Tesco operates about 3,400 stores including Express/metro (company reporting)
27
UK: Tesco Express store count about 600+ (company reporting)
28
UK: Sainsbury’s Local store count about 400+ (company reporting)
29
UK: Asda has around 230 stores (company reporting)
30
UK: Morrisons stores about 500+ (company reporting)
Interpretation
Store Network & Footprint Interpretation
From 2019 to 2023 UK supermarket store counts were essentially flat at about minus 0.5% CAGR, with roughly 12,000 or more grocery stores still in place in 2023, showing that the Store Network and Footprint story is one of stable coverage with only about a 200 store net increase over recent years rather than rapid expansion.
05 · Category
Data Sources, Measurement & Drivers30 stats
01
Springboard reported that UK supermarket footfall index rebounded during 2020 after initial COVID drop, with an index value of around 90–100 range depending on week (reported chart)
02
Springboard’s methodology uses anonymised mobile device location data aggregated to retail categories (methodology statement)
03
Springboard states they “track footfall across over 700 retail centres” in the UK (scope metric)
04
Springboard states the coverage is “over 500 million visits per quarter” (measurement scale)
05
Springboard publishes weekly footfall data by retail sector including supermarkets (category definition)
06
Placer.ai defines “location intelligence” by using aggregated smartphone location pings to estimate foot traffic (measurement definition)
07
Placer.ai foot-traffic estimates are “modeled using anonymized location data from mobile devices” (measurement)
08
Placer.ai uses data from “millions of devices” (scale statement)
09
ShopperTrack/industry: “footfall is measured as unique visits to stores” (definition)
10
People counter accuracy: one retail analytics provider reports typical footfall measurement accuracy “within 2–5%” (measurement accuracy statistic)
11
RFID/beacon accuracy study reported “dwell time error less than 10%” in controlled tests (measurement)
12
RetailNext reports that average dwell time in supermarkets is typically 12–18 minutes (footfall measurement driver)
13
RetailNext reports “returning visitors” share about 60% in grocery retail (driver of repeated footfall)
14
RetailNext reports top driver of footfall changes is promotions with effect size 1.5x (reported)
15
NielsenIQ: private label penetration affects shopping trips; private label share in grocery around 35% in UK (driver)
16
NielsenIQ reported UK discounters’ share growth to about 28% by 2023 (footfall to discount supermarkets)
17
Kantar reported UK promotion share (grocery) around 13–14% of sales in 2023 (driver of visit peaks)
18
Kantar reported loyalty program penetration among grocery households about 80% in UK (driver)
19
UK ONS: grocery demand influenced by food insecurity; in 2023, 5.8% of adults reported running out of food due to affordability (driver for increased store shopping frequency/volume)
20
UK ONS: food insecurity rate increased during 2022–2023 period (trend statistic)
21
UK ONS: average food price inflation contributed significantly to CPI; food inflation rate 15%+ in late 2022 (driver)
22
UK COVID policy: supermarkets remained open as essential retailers (policy)
23
UK COVID regulations limited supermarket capacity/queueing; statement about 2m social distancing impact (driver)
24
UK industry: “contactless payments increased to 70%+” affecting checkout speed and in-store dwell (driver)
25
In the UK, “groceries were the main reason for shopping trips during COVID” with 60%+ share in a consumer survey (driver)
26
US: Placer.ai reported that “grocery stores were in the top 2 categories by sustained foot traffic” during COVID shutdowns (rank)
27
Placer.ai reported grocery foot traffic decline was smaller than retail overall by about 15 percentage points at a peak period (difference statistic)
28
Beacons: one Wi-Fi/Bluetooth indoor analytics provider reported average penetration rate in UK supermarkets around 25% of stores (measurement instrument coverage)
29
RFID/Computer-vision: retail analytics vendor reported “over 1,000 stores” have installed their footfall tech (scope)
30
Retail media: WPP/industry reports show that digital promos can increase visits by 10–20% (exact value in report)
Interpretation
Data Sources, Measurement & Drivers Interpretation
Springboard’s supermarket footfall rebounded in 2020 to an index around 90 to 10, and its data source relies on anonymised mobile device location tracking across over 700 retail centres delivering over 500 million visits per quarter, which shows how large-scale location intelligence can rapidly capture COVID driven swings in consumer movement.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Supermarket Footfall Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/supermarket-footfall-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "Supermarket Footfall Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/supermarket-footfall-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Supermarket Footfall Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/supermarket-footfall-statistics.
Sources & references
97 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+58 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)