There is a slow but steady improvement in Welsh footfall as the decline in people using shopping centres decreases by lesser rates.

The Welsh Retail Consortium (WRC) reported a 3.2 per cent decrease in retail footfall in July which is an improvement on the 4.1 per cent decrease in June, with shopping centres diminishing by 5.4 per cent.

Yet, retail parks witnessed a slight increase in activity of 0.9 per cent.

This lower decline rate follows Taylor Swift's Eras tour in June, which saw a surge in footfall.

Sara Jones, head of the Welsh Retail Consortium, said: "Whilst footfall remains over 3 per cent down on the previous year, there are early signs that we are heading in the right direction with warmer weather and big-ticket sporting events and concerts encouraging shoppers to head to their high street."

The first week of July saw a significant decrease in footfall by 5 per cent, primarily in shopping centres. However, the remainder of the month saw gradual increases week on week.

England’s final stage of the Euros led to increased footfall, particularly in the early evening, suggesting fans congregated in towns and cities across Wales.

Weekend and weekday footfall had a slight decline in July compared to June.

This may be attributed to the end of term for educational institutions, students leaving the region for holidays, or returning home for the summer.

Retail consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, Andy Sumpter, emphasised the importance of cautious optimism in the retail sector.

Despite four consecutive months of marginal footfall improvements, retail stores witnessed decreased shopper traffic in comparison to the previous year.