This is worse than the UK average decline of 15.4% (Yo3Y). Scotland again saw the steepest decline in footfall of all UK nations.

At the same time, shopping centre footfall declined by 32.0% in March (Yo3Y) in Scotland, an improvement on the decline of 34.7% in February.

While footfall in Glasgow decreased by 19.5% (Yo3Y), 1.3 percentage points better than February.

David Lonsdale, director, Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “There was a minuscule uptick in shopper footfall last month as Scots only very gradually returned to retail destinations. However, the blunt truth is footfall continues to languish a fifth down on pre-pandemic levels. Visits to shopping centres and Glasgow city centre improved a touch, however Scotland as a whole continued to lag other parts of the UK. This was despite the loosening of stultifying Covid related restrictions in stores during the month.

“Shops themselves are continuing to provide a welcoming and safe shopping experience with a wide range of products, admittedly against a backdrop of economic uncertainty and concerns over the cost of living. Scotland’s shops and the thousands of jobs they provide will only survive with the patronage of the public, and questions remain over what demand will look like in the months ahead.

“As such, these stark figures should lead to a sharper response from policy makers as to the health of our retail destinations. There is an urgent need to bring energy and vision to the revival of our retail and high street destinations and actively encourage people to return. Promises over recent days of a return to city centres visitor campaign and the cash disbursed to councils to aid city centre recovery need to be deployed swiftly, to help generate the footfall that is so desperately needed.”

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, added: “As we surpass two years since the first Covid-19 lockdown, we might begin to see where retail footfall trends will settle down as retail resets. With the High Street’s recovery hitting its best performance since October and UK shopper traffic tracking ahead of its European counterparts, retailers’ optimism will be met with a healthy dose of realism.

“While covid-19 restrictions maybe loosening, despite the extension of the mask-wearing mandate, the nation’s belts may start to tighten as the impact of the cost-of-living squeeze and price inflation accelerates, and the knock-on effect of the energy cap rise and increased National Insurance contributions this month remain unknown as they look ahead into April and beyond.

“However, while price sensitivity may be growing among UK consumers, spending and brand loyalty seem to be ‘stickier’ in-store, with our recent research showing over a third were less price sensitive when shopping in-store compared to when they bought items online, and half felt more loyal to the bricks-and-mortar brands they shop with.”