The change is a 14.2 percentage point increase from March and is below the UK average decline of 40.0% (Yo2Y).

Shopping Centre footfall declined by 59.0% in April (Yo2Y) in Scotland, up from -72.1% in March.

At the same time, footfall in Glasgow decreased by 51.8% (Yo2Y), a 16.4 percentage point improvement from March.

David Lonsdale, director of the SRC, said that shopper footfall in Scotland began to recover in April in line with the phased re-opening of retail from lockdown.

He said: “All retail destinations saw some improvement, especially in city centres during the final week of April as stultifying Covid restrictions ceased and shoppers took the opportunity to seek out their favourite stores.

“While these figures are undoubtedly encouraging, there is some way to go before we can say that the industry has fully turned the page on the pandemic. Parts of the economic ecosystem upon which some shops depend have yet to re-open – including some eateries, cinemas, and city centre offices. The cost of operating stores remains higher too in order to keep customers safe, given the need to spend on physical distancing and hygiene measures and PPE for staff.

“As such the next few months remain challenging. That’s why we encourage shoppers to make a point of getting out and supporting their favourite stores over the coming weeks, in turn helping to sustain these businesses and the local jobs they provide, as well as the vitality of our retail destinations.”

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, commented: “Retail beginning to unlock saw a promising boost for the UK High Street. While footfall still remains 40% down compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, consumer demand signals for a return to in-store shopping were promising; despite occupancy limits restricting the numbers of customers allowed inside, shoppers happily braved long queues to get back in-store and shop their favourite brands in real life, after months confined to shopping from behind a screen.

“However, retailers will be hoping that the lift in shopper traffic as they reopen can be sustained past pent-up demand in order to fuel long-term recovery. Our research shows an overwhelming amount of consumer support for bricks-and-mortar retail, with 71% of shoppers vowing to make a conscious effort to shop in-store once retail’s reopened, with many having missed the experience of in-store shopping when lockdown shuttered shops and other saying ‘screen fatigue’ had set in.

“Retailers will be counting on shoppers acting on that sentiment and voting with their feet to support the shops that serve their communities.”