Latest news with #footfall
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Visitor numbers to Bradford rise - but are they spending money?
After a year of severe disruption in Bradford city centre, the number of people visiting to shop or eat is going up. There has been a 25% increase in footfall in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2024, according to the Bradford Business Improvement District (BID). The organisation, which represents 600 firms, said last year's figure was severely impacted by roadworks to pedestrianise parts of the centre, and the unexpected closure of the main bus station. But has this resurgence translated to increased spending in independent businesses? The BBC asked traders whether they have seen the high street start to recover. Amy Berry manages The Cake'ole cafe in City Park. She says: "I think it's been a lot better. The buses coming back (into the Interchange) have fixed a lot of the problems. "And then especially with all the events that City of Culture 2025 has brought in. We've had a lot of footfall, it's been pretty good." Ms Berry, 27, has worked in the cafe since it opened in 2019. "We were still trying to come back from Covid. A lot of people were still a bit scared to come out. "It's definitely a lot busier than we were then. "But I think we're now maybe back to where we were pre-Covid, maybe even a bit busier." The pedestrianisation work was part of a £48m Transforming Cities investment which was supposed to be completed before the start of Bradford's City of Culture year. It was only finished in May - five months after the cultural showcase's opening night. The Interchange was closed for safety reasons in January 2024 after a chunk of concrete fell from an underground car park, and only fully reopened this month. Ibrahim Eryatmaz runs Benim furniture shop on Market Street. He says: "I think more people are on the street because Market Street is open for pedestrians. "I can see there are more people but business is still low. "For us it's very low now but if you sell coffees, maybe small items, maybe for them it's potentially better. "But we are a furniture shop and who's passing along this street doesn't have a big effect for us." The 52-year-old did praise Bradford Council, which has halved business rates to encourage more traders to set up in the city centre. But he says many Bradfordians are still cautious when it comes to spending their money on bigger items. John Varey opened his florist's shop with his wife Lisa at the start of the year and has had a promising first few months of trading. "I've seen massive growth from when I first moved in. "Obviously we moved in in winter so we can't really gauge it compared to last year apart from figures. "We got the sales figures from the shop from last year and we've kind of almost doubled what they were doing." Mr Varey, 58, says the high rents being charged by private landlords who are often not based in Bradford does not help businesses thrive in the city centre. Elsewhere, Leeds and Wakefield have seen increases year-on-year in the number of people coming into their centres while Halifax, which is undergoing a £64m town centre improvement project, has seen a fall. Jonny Noble, chief executive of Bradford BID, says the 25% footfall boost has to be viewed in the context of a very low starting point last year. "There is no doubt that 2024 was a tough year for city centre businesses due to ongoing roadworks and the sudden closure of the Interchange. "However we're now seeing strong signs of recovery. "We know there's still work to do, and we're under no illusions - regenerating the city centre takes time and continued effort." He highlights events like the BID's recent Soapbox Challenge as well as those organised by the UK City of Culture 2025 team and the council as reasons why more people are coming into Bradford. Mr Noble adds that he is "optimistic about further increases in footfall, dwell time, and overall business confidence." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. City centre regeneration plans take step forward People urged to return to city centre as works end
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
New Douglas Mayor hopes to 'increase footfall' in capital
The new mayor of the Manx capital is hoping to work with businesses to "increase footfall" in the city Crellin, who was unanimously elected and will serve in the role for a year, was sworn in at a ceremony on takes over from Natalie Byron-Teare, who held the position for two years. She declared Mr Crellin would serve the residents with "great determination and passion".Accepting the role, Mr Crellin said: "I am truly honoured to serve, and I will do so with pride, determination and an unwavering commitment to making Douglas an even better place to live, work, and thrive." The new mayor said he was "honoured and humbled" to have be given the role, and spoke of an "abiding optimism", urging council and community to "shape a future" that was "inclusive, vibrant and full of opportunity".Crellin, who had previously held the position of deputy mayor, described that experience as "invaluable", allowing him an "overview of how everything is put together, and how events are organised".He said his theme, as mayor, was community and business, adding: "I can't wait to get going".The mayor has selected three chosen charities for the coming year: Hospice Isle of Man, Riding for the Disabled and Dot's Dream Foundation. Councillor Peter Washington was elected to serve as his follows last week's appointment of Devon Watson as council leader for Douglas. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
York traders blame 500% parking rise for drop in takings
Business owners in part of York say their takings have been "significantly" impacted by a 500% rise in charges at a nearby car cost of parking for an hour at the car park in Bishopthorpe Road rose from 85p to £4.85 on 26 trader said the hike had resulted in a "massive" drop in footfall while another said the rise had put customers off visiting the of York Council said it would monitor the impact of the change, adding that the new pricing structure made bus travel more affordable than car parking if staying for two hours or more. Beppe Lombardo, who owns Trinacria, a Sicilian restaurant on Bishopthorpe Road, said his business had been "struggling" in the wake of the rise."I've got staff that need to do their hours and I'm finding myself sending them home, because we can't really afford to keep staff on," he said some customers had told him they could no longer afford to visit the restaurant because of the cost of said he also thought traffic on the road had got worse as a result."All the local people who pay for a parking permit are struggling to find parking because people who can't afford to park in the car park risk parking in the side roads, or wherever there is space," he said, Charlotte Kneafsey, from M&K Butchers, said she had noticed a "massive change in the amount of footfall on the street"."You can't expect people to pay £5 for parking when they're paying £5 for a pound of mince," she said."It's doubling the cost of a meal, which for most families is just completely unacceptable."She claimed the car park was becoming "wasted space", saying she had seen just nine cars parked in the 35 spaces at times when it would normally be full. Ruth Phillips, owner of The Good Food Shop, estimated that 20% of her trade came from people using the car also raised concerns about the number of buses serving the area and claimed the council "had not spoken to the local community and understood the impact on people visiting the car park and how it's going to restrict those who need to drive". 'Sudden shock' to businesses Joe Nasson, co-owner of The Bishy Weigh eco-shop, said his takings were "significantly down" since the new charges were said he "totally" agreed with efforts to reduce congestion in York, but that it "needs a change in people's behaviours to make sure that independent traders aren't affected by such a sudden shock".He suggested increasing prices gradually, and incentivising sustainability through improved cycle parking and bus travel. The Liberal Democrats, the main opposition group on the council, said they would be holding a series of meetings to discuss the impact of the and Woodthorpe councillor Ashley Mason said: "You've got people driving further afield to find free parking, parking in residential areas or just not even paying the ticket price."We're not against looking at ways to make York more sustainable and help people move around but parking - and particularly parking for short periods of time at local shopping areas - is key." City of York Council said it was aware of the concerns of residents and businesses and was "listening and monitoring the impact" of the increased parking said an equalities impact assessment had been carried out prior to the price rise.A spokesperson added that Bishopthorpe Road and Nunnery Lane were both "well served by bus routes" while adding that parking in council car parks remained free for Blue Badge holders. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Small but positive' rise in retail footfall as sunny April encourages shoppers
Retailers have seen a 'small but positive' increase in shoppers as the sunniest April on record enticed consumers into stores, figures suggest. Figures for March and April – which cancel out distortions due to this year's late Easter – indicate high street footfall increased by 0.2% on last year, while visits to retail parks were up 2.7%, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic. But shopping centre visits fell by 0.7%. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: 'Adjusting for the late fall of Easter this year, footfall across March and April showed a small but positive trend, with retail parks continuing to perform the strongest out of all locations. 'This reflected the unseasonally warm and bright weather right across the UK. Retailers will be hoping this momentum continues into the summer months.' Andy Sumpter, retail consultant for Sensormatic, said: 'The combination of Easter trading and the sunniest April on record helped entice consumers back into stores. 'Looking at March and April together however, the overall picture for the UK is more balanced, with footfall across the two months up just 0.2% year-on-year. 'While this suggests that April's gains largely offset March's dip, it also highlights the importance of sustained engagement beyond seasonal peaks. Retailers will now be looking to build on this momentum as we move into the summer months.'
The Independent
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
‘Small but positive' rise in retail footfall as sunny April encourages shoppers
Retailers have seen a 'small but positive' increase in shoppers as the sunniest April on record enticed consumers into stores, figures suggest. Figures for March and April – which cancel out distortions due to this year's late Easter – indicate high street footfall increased by 0.2% on last year, while visits to retail parks were up 2.7%, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic. But shopping centre visits fell by 0.7%. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: 'Adjusting for the late fall of Easter this year, footfall across March and April showed a small but positive trend, with retail parks continuing to perform the strongest out of all locations. 'This reflected the unseasonally warm and bright weather right across the UK. Retailers will be hoping this momentum continues into the summer months.' Andy Sumpter, retail consultant for Sensormatic, said: 'The combination of Easter trading and the sunniest April on record helped entice consumers back into stores. 'Looking at March and April together however, the overall picture for the UK is more balanced, with footfall across the two months up just 0.2% year-on-year. 'While this suggests that April's gains largely offset March's dip, it also highlights the importance of sustained engagement beyond seasonal peaks. Retailers will now be looking to build on this momentum as we move into the summer months.'
