Shoppers proved largely undeterred by riots in some areas of England and Northern Ireland, as footfall largely held up in August.
Total UK shopper visitors dropped by 0.4% from 28 July-24 August, according to the BRC, compared with a drop in 3.3% in July.
High streets saw the lowest drop, falling by 0.3%: a significant improvement on July’s decline of 2.7%.
Retail parks saw the highest decline, with numbers down 2.6%, compared with a 0.8% drop in July.
Shopping centres saw visitors drop by 1.8%, an improvement on July’s 3.9% fall.
Footfall fell by 0.5% in England and 1.8% in Wales while rising by 1.4% in Northern Ireland and 0.7% in Scotland.
‘Retail parks saw footfall levels rise in the week following the riots as some continued to avoid high streets and shopping centres. Footfall recovered across all destinations towards the end of the month when warmer weather and summer sales prompted shoppers to browse their favourite stores,’ says Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive.