Shopping footfall in central London has dropped more rapidly than anywhere else in the country over the last week. 

The news comes as London is hit with the biggest surge of Omicron cases, with nearly a third lower on the morning of Christmas Eve than a week earlier. 

Other city centres across the country are also feeling the pinch as city centres drop by 10%.

Although footfall fell on Christmas Eve, it increased by 14% in market towns, retail parks and shopping centres. 

News Shopper: Retails struggle as Omicron surges in the capitol. (PA)Retails struggle as Omicron surges in the capitol. (PA)

Data providers Springboard said: “The increased activity in retail parks today will in part be due to trips for food and grocery products as the majority of retail parks have a food store.”

Adding that "since the start of Covid, retail parks has consistently been more resilient in retaining shoppers as they are large open spaces, with large stores which make shoppers feel safer and less nervous."

Shopping centres saw footfall rise by 19.6% compared to just 6.7% in high street footfall.