LONDON (Bloomberg) — The number of UK shoppers visiting stores and malls last weekend declined as retail discounts failed to attract more customers, the Footfall research company said.

Shopping visits in the weekend of November 22 and November 23 dropped by 5.9 percent, compared with the same period last year, Footfall, a unit of Experian Group Ltd., said yesterday in an e- mailed statement.

"Although retailers are offering deep discounts, there is still little sign of Christmas in terms of greater numbers of footfall," the research company said in the statement.

Marks & Spencer Group Plc was among UK retailers that discounted goods last week in an effort to draw shoppers.

Arcadia Group Ltd., the UK fashion retailer owned by billionaire Philip Green, is discounting prices at some of its chains by a fifth, while Debenhams Plc has cut prices by as much as a quarter.