Search "How to increase footfall in retail" and you will find hundreds of articles saying roughly the same thing: tidy your windows, run a promotion, post on social media.

It is advice that made sense five years ago when the post-lockdown bounce was real and getting shoppers back through the door felt like the only challenge. A lot has changed since then. Shopping habits have shifted, expectations have risen, and the retailers winning on footfall in 2026 are doing something quite different.

According to BRC-Sensormatic data, total UK footfall in 2025 was down 0.8% on 2024, making the third consecutive year of annual decline. Shopping centres fell 5.1% in December alone. High streets proved the most resilient, but they still ended the year in red.

the real challenge in 2026 is not just attracting footfall. it is winning back shoppers who have genuinely changed their habits.

That requires a more complex strategy: one that combines compelling in-store environments with targeted print communications that reach customers before they even leave the house. Most articles cover one or the other. This one covers both.

Here is what we will walk through:

• Why footfall still matters more than most retailers realise
• How to calculate and track it properly
• Six practical ways to increase it, including tactics most competitors are not using
• How sustainable print choices can support long-term footfall growth
• A real-world example from our work with Adidas

why footfall is still crucial for retail success

There is a tempting narrative that footfall does not matter as much as it used to. Online sales have grown. Click-and-collect has changed the journey. But here is the thing: the data tells a very different story.

Physical retail still accounts for the majority of UK retail spend. And in-store conversion rates consistently outperform digital channels. A shopper who walks through your door is already warmer, more engaged, and far more likely to spend than someone scrolling past an ad.

Footfall is the top of your physical sales funnel. Without it, nothing downstream works: not your visual merchandising, not your trained staff, not your carefully curated product range.

There are also second-order effects that do not get talked about enough:

• Dwell time increases basket size.
  Research consistently shows that the longer a customer spends in-store, the more they spend.

• Physical presence drives brand memory.
  Shoppers who visit a store are significantly more likely to recall the brand and return, even if they do not buy on that visit.

• Footfall data is a strategic asset.
  It tells you which locations, which days, and which campaigns are working, giving you a feedback loop that pure digital metrics cannot replicate.

how to calculate footfall in retail

Before you can improve footfall, you need to measure it accurately. Many retailers track it loosely, but the most useful footfall data is granular: by location, by time of day, by day of week, and ideally by campaign period. 

The basic formula

The simplest footfall calculation is a direct count of people entering your store over a given period:

Footfall = Total number of customer entries within a defined time period

This is typically captured via door counters (infrared sensors, thermal cameras, or WI-FI tracking). The raw number becomes useful when you layer in context.

footfall metrics worth tracking

conversion rate: the number that matters most

Raw footfall without conversion data is just a vanity metric. The formula that really matters is:

Conversion rate = (Number of transactions Footfall count) x 100

If 500 people visit your store and 75 make a purchase, your conversion rate is 15%. Tracking this alongside footfall tells you whether you are attracting the right customers and whether your in-store experience is doing its job. 

The ONS publishes weekly UK retail footfall data broken down by location type and region, which is a useful benchmark for comparing your own store performance against national trends. 

six ways to increase footfall in your retail store

With measurement in place, here are six tactics that actually move the needle, the first four focus on the physical store environment; the final two are where most retailers leave serious footfall on the table.

1. make your window display work harder

Your window is your most valuable piece of real estate, and it is working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for every single person who walks past. Loyal customer or complete stranger, your window is the first impression.

A strong window display does three things simultaneously: it communicates your brand, showcases your product, and gives a passerby a genuine reason to stop. Most displays only manage one of these, the best ones nail all three.

Practical principles that make a difference:

• Integrate your window with your in-store visual merchandising.
  The product featured in the window should be immediately visible and accessible from the entrance. Disconnected windows create confusion and kill conversion.
• Change displays regularly.
  Aim for minimum of six changeovers per year. Regulars notice when nothing changes, and it signals a brand that is not paying attention.
• Use blockout material for window graphics.
  When printing window graphics, blockout vinyl prevents in-store or peripheral light from diluting colours, particularly where white ink is used. The difference in vibrancy is significant.
• Keep and eye on the competition.
  If a neighbouring retailer has a stronger window, your hard work is being undermined. Match and exceed.

The window is not just a decoration. It is your number one salesperson.

2. go bold with print and graphics

Subtlety has its place. A busy high street is not it. You are competing with digital screens, other retailers, and the general noise of modern life. Bold print cuts through all of that.

Think striking colours, strong shapes, oversized typography, and three-dimensional props that stop people in their tracks. And the creative theme should not start and end at the window. Carry it in-store with consistent graphics, wayfinding, and point-of-sale materials that speak the same visual language.

Bold print done well:

• Large-format graphics printed on high-quality substrates that hold colour under varied lighting conditions
• 3D structural elements combined with printed backdrops to create depth and theatre
• Consistent colour palettes applied across all touchpoints, from the window to the shelf edge

Here's a good example of this in practice:

When Adidas asked us to transform the centrepiece gallery at their UK Head Office in Stockport, a 25m x 12m x 5m space that every buyer from every major UK and Ireland retailer walks through on arrival, bold was the only option. No hard fixings, no natural light, full-length white metal panels.

Our solution was a full-sized indoor 5-a-side astroturf pitch, complete with goal posts, advertising boards, a crowd, kitted mannequins, and a genuine Euro 2020 Adidas football at centre circle.

"Adidas challenge the norm. They approach their project work like their world-leading apparel and footwear brand, always pushing the boundaries for what is possible, striving to do something innovative that's never been done before, all whilst making it more sustainable for the planet." David Seller, Precision Proco

Compliments rang out from everyone who entered. For the first time, it did not feel like a big empty room. You can read the full story on our Adidas retail marketing case study page.

3. use light to create drama

Lighting is the most underused tool in retail print and display. Clever directional lighting transforms a good display into a genuinely memorable one.

The key is using light to create focal points, not just illuminate a space. Directional spotlights on hero products, edge-lit acrylic panels, and illuminated graphics all add a dimension that flat print alone cannot achieve.

The good news: this does not have to be expensive. Battery-powered LED systems, edge-lit acrylics, and simple filters can achieve a premium result without a major fit-out budget. The investment is in the thinking, not necessarily the hardware.

Illuminated graphics are particularly effective for window displays after dark, extending the working hours of your most visible marketing asset.

4. bring texture into the space

One of the strongest reasons to visit a physical store is simple: you can touch things. Feel the weight of a product. Run your hand along a surface. It is a sense that digital retail cannot replicate, and yet most retailers completely overlook it in their environments.

Architectural-grade films are one of the most cost-effective ways to bring texture in at scale. The best ones on the market convincingly replicate wood, concrete, polished metal, stone, and more. They apply to flat walls, curved surfaces, floors, and awkward shapes, giving spaces a premium finish without the cost of a structural refurbishment.

A textured environment signals quality instantly. It makes even simple product displays look more considered, and it gives customers a reason to slow down and linger, which feeds directly into dwell time and basket size.

5. drive-to-store with targeted print communications

Here is the tactic that almost every footfall article misses entirely, and arguably the highest-leverage one available to retailers right now.

In-store experience is powerful, but it only works on people who are already nearby. To grow footfall, you need to reach customers before they have even decided where they are going. That is exactly where targeted print communications come in, and where most of your competitors are leaving the door wide open.

Direct mail and door drops are proven footfall drivers:

• Royal Mail research shows that direct mail improves the lift of online campaigns by 62%, and the same principle applies to physical store visits.
• According to RRD's 2025 Print Marketing Report, 72% of consumers regularly read or engage with ads received in the mail.
• 82% of marketing executives increased their direct mail investment in 2025, with many citing it as their best-performing channel for driving action.

For retailers, the most effective formats are:

• Personalised direct mail sent to lapsed customer with a specific in-store offer or event invitation
• Door drops targeted by postcode to reach new audiences within a defined catchment area
• Seasonal print catalogues that drive both online and in-store visits (businesses combining email and catalogues see a 49% increase in sales and a 125% increase in enquiries, according to Harvard Business Review data)

We explore this in more detail in our guide to the resurgence of the high street and in our post on why personalised direct mail beats standard mailing.

6. use qr codes to bridge print and in-store experience

Not long ago, the gap between a print communication and an actual store visit was a leap of faith. QR codes have changed that. Used well, they create a measurable, trackable bridge between your print marketing and your physical footfall, and they give you data that most in-store tactics simply cannot.

A QR code on a direct mail piece, a window graphic, or an in-store poster can do several things at once:

• Direct a customer to a store-specific landing page with directions, opening hours, and current offers
• Unlock an exclusive in-store discount that incentivises the visit
• Register the customer for an event or experience at the store
• Track which print touchpoints are driving the most visits

The key is the offer. A QR code that leads to a homepage does nothing. A QR code that unlocks something exclusive to in-store customers creates a genuine reason to visit.
We cover this in depth in our post on using QR codes to bridge the gap between physical and digital experiences.

footfall growth: the long game

Short-term tactics, a sale, a one-off event, a seasonal window change, can absolutely move the needle. But if you want footfall to grow consistently over time, you need a different mindset entirely.

The retailers who consistently outperform are not the ones running the most promotions. They are the ones who have built a genuine reason for people to visit, something that goes beyond product availability. That reason is experience, and print is one of the most powerful tools for delivering it.

what scalable footfall actually looks like

• Consistency of environment.
  A store that looks the same every visit gives customers no reason to return. A store that evolves its print and display programme gives them a reason to come back and see what is new.
• Community and events.
  In-store events, workshops, and exclusive launches create urgency and social proof. Print invitations and direct mail are significantly more effective than social media for driving attendance from existing customers. 
• Loyalty programmes with physical touchpoints.
  A printed loyalty card or personalised mailer creates a tangible connection that a push notification cannot replicate.

the sustainability angle

There is a growing expectation from consumers, particularly younger demographics, that brands take their environmental responsibilities seriously. For print specifically, this means:

• Choosing FSC-certified paper stocks

• Using water-based or vegetable inks where possible

• Selecting suppliers with verified sustainability credentials

 This is not just an ethical consideration. It is a brand positioning one. Retailers who can demonstrate sustainable print practices as part of their in-store and marketing materials are building trust with an audience that is increasingly making purchase decisions based on brand values.

We have written extensively about this in our piece on the sustainability benefits of print on demand and our broader ESG journey.

The bottom line on sustainable footfall growth: it is built through repeated positive experiences, not repeated discounts. Print is the medium that makes those experiences tangible, memorable, and consistent. 

ready to drive more footfall?

UK footfall declined for the third consecutive year in 2025. That is the challenge. The opportunity is that most retailers are responding with digital spend, which means the brands investing in physical print and in-store experience are standing out more than ever.

Whether you are looking to overhaul your window displays, launch a targeted direct mail campaign, or create an immersive in-store environment that gives people a genuine reason to visit, print is the medium that makes it happen.