Revealed: The top performing retail destinations in 2025

• Ballycastle named the biggest growing high street with 20% YoY footfall growth 
• Newcastle Quays is the top retail park at 10% growth 
• Victoria Shopping Centre in Southend had the largest footfall increase of all UK shopping centres at 12% 

New data released by MRI Software, a leader in retail intelligence solutions, has revealed the fastest growing retail destinations in the UK. 

The retail experts analysed the footfall data they collect for retail destinations across the UK to reveal where is surging in popularity at the fastest rate in 2025 compared to the previous 12 months.  

MRI Software’s research named Ballycastle as the fastest growing high street, Newcastle Quays as the leader for retail parks, and Victoria Shopping Centre as the biggest climber for shopping centres.  

Ballycastle high street grows footfall by 20%

1. Ballycastle High Street, County Antrim, 20.1% YoY footfall growth 

Ballycastle, the small seaside town in Northern Ireland is home to the fastest growing high street according to MRI Software’s footfall data. Ballycastle high street had a massive 20% growth in footfall in 2025 compared to the previous 12 months. Ballycastle high street is also the fastest growing retail destination overall.  

2. Carmarthen High Street, Carmarthenshire, 18.9% YoY footfall growth 

In second place with a 19% footfall growth from 2024 to 2025 is the high street in Carmarthen. The small community town in Carmarthenshire, Wales experienced footfall growth twice as big as all but two other high streets in the UK.  

3. Portrush High Street, County Antrim, 12.8% YoY footfall growth 

County Antrim in Northern Ireland is home to two of the top three fastest growing high streets in the UK. The high street in Portrush was one of only three high streets with double digits footfall growth in 2025 – 13% YoY growth.  

4. Shrewsbury BID, Shropshire, 7.6% YoY footfall growth 

In fourth place is the Shrewsbury business improvement district. In 2025 there was an 8% growth in footfall compared to the previous year.  

5. Southside District, Birmingham, 7.2% YoY footfall growth 

Rounding off the top five in fifth place is the Southside District in Birmingham. The business improvement district saw a 7% increase in footfall growth. 

Newcastle Quays leads footfall growth among retail parks

1: Newcastle Quays Retail Park, North Shields, 9.9% YoY footfall growth 

Newcastle Quays in North Shields takes the crown for the retail park with the largest footfall growth in 2025. The retail park in North Tyneside saw footfall increase by 10% from 2024 to 2025. 

2. Colney Fields Shopping Park, St Albans, 7.3% YoY footfall growth 

In second place is Colney Fields Shopping Park in St Albans, which had a 7% increase in footfall. The London Colney retail park which is anchored by M&S and Sainsbury’s has an impressive 4.3 star rating over 4,700+ Google reviews. 

3. Interchange West Retail Park, Bedford, 6.6% YoY footfall growth 

A 7% increase in footfall growth during 2025 is enough to land in third place for Interchange West Retail Park. The retail park in Kempston is home to 14 high street brands including NEXT, Clarks, and Matalan.  

4. Watford Arches Retail Park, Watford, 5.6% YoY footfall growth 

Watford Arches Retail Park had the fourth highest increase in footfall during 2025 – 6%. Brands with shops on Watford Arches Retail Park include B&Q, The Range, Costa, and Kwik Fit.  

5. Chilwell Retail Park, Nottingham, 5.3% YoY footfall growth 

Claiming fifth place among retail parks is Chilwell Retail Park. Based in Nottingham, Chilwell Retail Park saw a 5% growth in footfall. Shoppers can find 13 brands on Chilwell Retail Park, including TK Maxx and Pets at Home, with food options also available from McDonalds and Greggs.  

The narrative that UK retail is struggling simply doesn’t reflect what we’re seeing on the ground. Our data shows clear momentum in destinations that are giving consumers a strong reason to visit, whether that’s vibrant coastal high streets like Ballycastle and Portrush, convenience-driven retail parks such as Newcastle Quays, or well-curated places like Victoria Shopping Centre in Southend.

-Jenni Matthews, Retail Insights Analyst at MRI Software

Victoria Shopping Centre in Southend named the fastest growing shopping centre

1. Victoria Shopping Centre, Southend, 12.3% YoY footfall growth 

The Victoria Shopping Centre in Southend has the distinction of being named the top performing shopping centre in the UK for footfall growth in 2025. The 12% footfall growth is the highest among all shopping centres, and the fourth highest across all retail destinations. The Victoria Shopping Centre is home to over 50 shops including H Samuel, New Look, and Dalarna Vintage.   

2. Market Place Shopping Centre, Bolton, 11.4% YoY footfall growth 

Market Place in Bolton is the shopping centre with the second biggest footfall growth in 2025. Visitors to the shopping centre grew by 11% YoY. Shoppers in Bolton can shop at over 40 different stores in Market Place, with a selection of 8 places to get food from.  

3. Hildreds Shopping Centre, Skegness, 10.0% YoY footfall growth 

Hildreds Shopping Centre in Skegness saw a 10% growth in footfall from 2024 to 2025, the third biggest increase of all the shopping centres in the UK. Hildred’s has over 30 stores to shop and dine at including JD Sports, Pandora, and Warren James. 

4. Waverley Market, Edinburgh, 8.9% YoY footfall growth 

In fourth place is Waverley Market. The shopping centre based in Edinburgh experienced a 9% increase in footfall during 2025.  

5. Liverpool Central Shopping Centre, Liverpool, 8.3% YoY footfall growth 

Concluding the top five shopping centres rising the most in popularity is Liverpool Central Shopping Centre. The shopping centre which sits above Liverpool Central Station saw a 8% increase in footfall last year.  

Growth of this scale doesn’t happen by accident. The destinations outperforming the market are those that understand their audience, get the fundamentals right, and use insight to shape the right mix of brands, value and experience. In 2025, retail success was deliberate and likely backed by a data-driven strategy.

-Jenni Matthews, Retail Insights Analyst at MRI Software