The rate is above the UK average decline of 73.5%.

Year on year footfall in Glasgow decreased by 71.6% in February, an improvement of 3.9 percentage points from January, at the same time, Scottish shopping centre footfall decreased by 75.2% in February, less of a decline than the UK average of 75.7%.

Weekly footfall for the four weeks in February was broadly within the same range, with a slightly shallower decline during the third week of the month.

David Lonsdale, director of the SRC, said: “Unsurprisingly footfall in Scotland and across all shopping destinations crashed last month against the comparable pre-pandemic trading period of February last year, as shoppers rightly heeded government instructions to stay at home.

“The decline was in line with that witnessed in January. It was the fifth worst monthly footfall data from the past year with visits to retail destinations down 70%.

“Retailers are readying themselves to re-open safely when permitted to do so, with a provisional date set for next month. The government’s prioritisation of retail as the likely first part of the economy to re-open is a welcome vote of confidence in its ability to do so safely and to help kick-start domestic consumption and the economy.

“Shops and retail jobs ultimately depend on the patronage of the public, and so hopefully further detail on the possible timetable and sequencing for re-opening the rest of the economy will be forthcoming shortly, especially the safe return of tourists, students and office workers to our larger towns and city centres.

“Emerging from lockdown will itself not be a panacea for retail, which is why Scottish Ministers should stand ready to act to stimulate consumer spending and transactions, perhaps through a High Street Stimulus Scheme as is planned for Northern Ireland.”

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, added: “With lockdown fatigue looming large, February saw another month of limited footfall on the High Street, as non-essential retail remained closed and stores shuttered. February did see a small lift in shopper counts compared to January, perhaps due to the ongoing success of the vaccine roll-out and the roadmap for unlocking announced earlier in the month giving consumer confidence a boost.

“However, while there is light at the end of tunnel, the outlook between now and when non-essential retail can reopen, remains bleak. Many retailers will be holding out hope that, once again, consumers will return when they reopen and that pent-up demand for real life retail experiences will sustain the High Street’s recovery.”