What We’re Seeing on the Ground: Real-World Trends in Retail & Public Spaces

At Merlin Cloud, we're in a unique position: every day, we collect and analyse thousands of data points from physical spaces across the UK and Europe. We’re embedded in cafés, shops, campuses, offices, and public venues - from London to Liverpool, Manchester to Munich.

This gives us a front-row seat to how footfall patterns, customer behaviour, and operational strategies are shifting in real-time.

Today, we're sharing some of the most important insights we've gathered so far in 2025. Whether you're a retail manager, facilities lead, or brand strategist, these trends aren’t just interesting - they’re actionable.

Weekday Footfall Is Rebounding - But It Looks Different

Across many of our UK clients, we're seeing a steady return of weekday traffic - but it’s not a mirror image of pre-pandemic patterns.

Tuesdays and Thursdays have overtaken Mondays and Fridays as key in-store days. In retail parks and high-street locations across Birmingham, Bristol, and Sheffield, these midweek spikes are consistently 8–15% higher than adjacent days.

So what’s changed? Hybrid work is here to stay - and customers now cluster errands, dining, and shopping on “commute” days. The result is a midweek economy that’s ripe for targeted offers and promotions.

Dwell Time Is Down—But Engagement Is Up

In 2024, the average customer spent 18–21 minutes in-store. In 2025, we’re seeing that drop closer to 12–15 minutes. But here’s the twist: conversion rates are higher.

Why? Because customers who come in-store now arrive more intentional than ever. They’ve researched online. They’re time-sensitive. And they’re ready to buy - if the experience is seamless.

That makes first impressions, product placement, and signage more important than ever.

Businesses Are Finally Using Their Data (But Many Are Still Guessing)

One of the most encouraging trends we’ve seen in 2025 is a shift in mindset: data isn’t just for head office anymore.

More store managers and operations teams - especially in independent and mid-size chains - are using tools like Merlin Cloud daily. They’re tracking what time queues form. They’re updating signage based on traffic. They’re matching staff levels to visitor flow.

But there’s still a divide. Businesses with analytics tools are optimising. Those without? Still guessing.

Safety and Flow Still Matter - Especially in Public Venues

While consumer anxiety has decreased, operational safety is still a major driver for our university, healthcare, and transport clients.

Live occupancy tracking, queue alerts, and room-by-room movement analysis are helping facilities teams manage not just space - but trust.

In several UK universities, for example, we’re seeing students gravitate to study areas where live capacity data is displayed. This isn’t just about safety - it’s about user control.

Location-Wide Strategy Is Becoming Standard

2025 is also the year when multi-site operators are starting to think in terms of network-wide intelligence.

Chains are now comparing stores not just by revenue, but by customer journey efficiency, queue conversion, and digital engagement. They’re using shared dashboards to:

• Test campaigns regionally

• Roll out layout changes where they work best

• Spot underperforming sites and respond quickly

What’s Next: Prediction Becomes the Norm

Looking ahead, we see predictive analytics becoming the default - not a bonus.

Businesses want to know:

• When tomorrow’s peak will hit

• What campaign to run at 4pm on a rainy Wednesday

• How to staff the weekend before payday

With our predictive modules now live across retail and hospitality clients, we’re helping brands shift from reactive to proactive every single day.

Our Takeaway: Adapt Early, Not Often

At Merlin Cloud, we’ve seen enough to know this: physical businesses that adapt early outperform those that adjust late.

The world is not standing still. Customer patterns are shifting, expectations are rising, and smart operators are turning data into action—without waiting for head office permission.

We built Merlin Cloud for exactly this. To help retailers, venues, campuses, and coworking spaces act on what’s happening now—and what’s coming next.

Let’s get ahead of it together.

📞 Book a trend session with our insights team

📍 Available across the UK, with deployments in London, Essex, and the EU

📦 Get started in under a week

💬 Ask about predictive modules or network dashboards