Easter events contribute to record month for Liverpool city centre
Shoppers flooded into Liverpool last month in the busiest April on record, drawn in by sun, spitfires and Spring on the Waterfront.
Special cameras tracked 5.6m people through the heart of the city centre during the month – 500,000 more than in April, 2010 and 1.3m higher than European Capital of Culture year.
The 10% increase was achieved despite a national fall in UK town and city centres of 0.8%, as measured by the Association of Town Centre Management and Springboard.
The two bank holiday weekends, the disjointed Easter holidays and the hot weather all contributed to an unpredictable outlook for retailers generally, but not Liverpool.
Chris Bliss, estate director at Liverpool One – which borders the area measured by the business improvement district cameras – said his development matched the 10%rise in footfall, while sales rose even faster.
He said: “Liverpool One has experienced its best April ever. Sales are up nearly 19% compared to April last year. People have taken the opportunity to spend their additional leisure time to come in to the city, shop and enjoy the many events that we have put on such as the screening of the Royal Wedding and jazz festival on Chavasse Park.”
They formed part of a programme of events to animate the city centre – which included Spring on The Waterfront, Liverpool Blitz weekend, Taste of Spain as well as the annual Grand National weekend – that all contributed to the record.
The single busiest day was April 9 when nearly 420,000 people came into the city centre, boosted by the Taste of Spain event in Williamson Square and the Aintree effect.
Ged Gibbons, chief executive of City Central Business Improvement District, said: “A lot of planning by a whole host of partners goes in to giving people of all ages and budgets something to do and see in Liverpool city centre.
“April was jam packed with events to take advantage of the holidays and coupled with the great weather we’ve definitely had a magical month which will have no doubt had an impact on the tills.”
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