Footfall Report '25: Retail Enters a Phase of Mature, Purpose-Driven Growth

Physical retail across Europe entered a new phase of maturity in 2025. Following the strong post-pandemic rebound of recent years, growth stabilised, visitor behaviour continued to evolve and performance became increasingly defined by conversion, convenience and experience, rather than sheer footfall volumes.

These insights come from PFM Intelligence’s Footfall Trend Report 2025, based on anonymised sensor data covering more than 3 billion people across over 2,000 retail and leisure locations in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and multiple other European markets. By analysing real-world movement data rather than surveys or transactions, the report provides an objective view of how consumers actually use physical destinations.

Footfall stabilises as consumer behaviour shifts

Across both the Netherlands and the UK, total footfall growth remained positive but modest in 2025. In the Netherlands, national footfall increased by 0.50% year-on-year, while the UK recorded a 0.27% increase, signalling a clear shift from recovery to stabilisation.

In both markets, passer-by volumes grew faster than retail visits, underlining a widening gap between presence and conversion. Passers-by increased by 0.8% in the Netherlands and 0.55% in the UK, while retail visits were flat to marginally positive (-0.04% in the Netherlands, +0.16% in the UK).

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