Sunnier's outlook for visits to Northern Ireland increases by more than 6% in June

Northern Ireland's high streets and shopping parks experienced a 3.6% rise in June, as the sun encouraged consumers to spend their money, according to a survey conducted today.

According to the Springboard study, growth in Northern Ireland was the fastest in 18 months and the fastest growing of all regions of the United Kingdom

. The monthly average dropped 0.7%, while the 12-month average was even steeper at 2.2%

The numbers for Main Street were the strongest for four years.

However, visitors to shopping centers are down 4.4% in June and from 5pm to 8pm, a drop of nearly 18%.

Aodhan Connolly, Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, said: "This month's numbers are a little tonic for retailers, as Northern Ireland has topped the list of other countries and regions in the world. UK "In general, we would be cautious when we highlight the impact of the weather on our attendance, but NI consumers literally buy like sun rays."

He added that good results did not mean the end of the problems facing the retail industry.

"Just like a swallow does not make a summer, a series of good results does not bode the revival of the sale at retail

"If we want to take advantage of the temporary buoyancy of consumer confidence, we must make our commercial areas a destination.

"We must work with the industry of hospitality and recreation so that consumers do not"

And he called for government help for the sector, saying: "We need a government retail manager and a dedicated NI retail strategy to enable us to get the most out of" Diane Wehrle, director of marketing and ideas at Springboard, said, "Unlike in the United Kingdom, where attendance decreased for the seventh consecutive month, attendance in Northern Ireland increased for the second month in a row, although the only driver was a street uprising of +6, The underlying results, however, reveal the pressures on retailers: in shopping centers, dominated by multiples, attendance fell by -13.2% during retail hours and -17.8 % between 17h and 20h.

The growth of attendance on major streets in June follows a bleak start for 2018 for retail, with names such as Toys R Us and Maplin home appliances entering the administration [19659002] Other – House of Fraser, New Look & Marks & Spencer – have started store closures.

The low-cost retailer Poundworld fell into the administration – although none of its 12 stores in Northern Ireland were affected by extensive store closures.

A spokeswoman said stores here have closing signs to move the stock and do not signal a decision to close.

Belfast Telegraph