Despite the impact of Storm Darragh Liverpool city centre saw a healthy rise in footfall in the first week of the festive trading period, Liverpool BID Company reveals. Tony McDonough reports
More than 1.7m people visited Liverpool city centre in the first week of December, a year-on-year rise despite the impact of Storm Darragh.
Liverpool BID Company says the footfall figure (which includes the city centre apart from Liverpool ONE) represented a rise of 1.4% compared to the same week in 2023. However, if Saturday, December 7, when Storm Darragh hit, is excluded the figure rises to 8.7%.
Sunday, December 1 saw 223,422 visit the city centre. This was 20.3% higher than last year but was boosted by the annual Santa Dash event.
This year Sunday marked the start of The Elf on the Shelf promotion at St John’s Beacon and a performance by Batala Mersey at Williamson Square. Busiest day so far has been Friday 6th December with a 249,288 footfall, up 3.2% on the same day last year.
On the Saturday when Storm Darragh hit the city centre it still saw a footfall of 188,740. Attractions bringing people to the city include the winter wonderland at Royal Albert Dock Liverpool and Liverpool ONE’s festive celebrations. BID’s Elf on the Shelf is also popular. The BID also funds 80% of Christmas lights in the city centre.
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BID chief executive Bill Addy said: “In a modern city and visitor economy you have to give people both a reason and an excuse to celebrate the festive season.
“What we’re seeing in Liverpool is a recognition that people come to cities for very different things; the attraction for a family of four is not necessarily the same for a young couple.
“What Liverpool’s mixed use economy is very good at doing is appealing to different markets and segments and we are seeing this being reflected in footfall numbers.
“Spectacle and events draw people in, and that is then converted into the spend that benefits our city centre economy. The whole city centre offer is very strong in Liverpool this Christmas and we expect to see it right up to the New Year.”
Liverpool’s R’Elf is the creation of prop and puppet-maker Jenny Simmons, Liverpool BID Company, The Lumistella Company’s official The Elf on the Shelf team and Rocket Licensing.