Covid: Cardiff's return of shoppers 'weakest outside London'

Only 51% of the pre-Covid footfall has returned to Cardiff

Cardiff has seen the weakest post-lockdown return of shoppers of any city apart from London, research suggests.

The number of shoppers in Cardiff in September was almost half that in March, when lockdown started, the Centre of Cities think tank found.

Cardiff, Swansea and Newport also saw fewer shoppers visit in September than in August as the High Street recovery stalled.

It comes as figures show the economic recovery from Covid-19 is slowing down.

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Comparing September with March, only 51% of the pre-Covid footfall has returned to Cardiff - the same figure as Manchester.

Newport (82%) and Swansea (84%) both recovered more quickly than the UK average of 64%.

London has seen the slowest recovery, with 35% of pre-Covid footfall returning.

The report - which logged the mobile phone signals of shoppers and workers - says the results are a combination of fewer tourists and people working from home.

The UK economic recovery slowed in August despite the Eat Out To Help Out scheme

Cardiff has been especially badly hit because of the amount of office workers in the city who are now able to work from home.

All counties in south Wales are under local lockdowns except for Monmouthshire.

Travel in and out of the areas is banned unless there is a "reasonable excuse", such as not being able to work from home.

Only 51% of the pre-Covid footfall has returned to Cardiff

Newport was the worst-hit city in Wales by a drop in High Street spending in September.

Sales dropped by a quarter compared to the school holiday month of August.

"Since the start of Covid, customers in the market are worsening by the day," said Marie Wheeler, who has owned the Curtain Company in Newport Market for 30 years.

"My rent is £400 a week. I used to make £1,500 on a Saturday, now I can hardly take £500 all week - and I get a little more online. It's a very bleak picture."

The study reflects official figures released on Friday which suggest the UK's economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic slowed in August despite the Eat Out to Help Out scheme helping to boost restaurants.

August's growth of 2.1% was below expectations - and slower than June and July - and the economy is still 9.2% smaller than before the pandemic.

Newport market has been a staple of the city's high street since 1854

It marked the fourth consecutive month of expansion following the slump which saw the UK economy shrink 20.4% between April and June compared with the first three months of the year.

Analysts have warned the coming months are likely to see growth slackening further amid new Covid restrictions and concern over a no-deal Brexit.

The Office for National Statistics said important sectors of the economy, such as services and construction, were still considerably smaller than in February.