Statistics Reveal That Shoppers Flocked To Guildford In December

Published on: 25 Jan, 2018
Updated on: 28 Jan, 2018

Experience Guildford, the town’s business improvement district, reports that the town again bucked national and regional footfall trends during the traditionally busy December shopping season.

It says that month-on-month footfall figures in the town centre, released by Springboard, saw increases of 19.6% compared to an average of 2.7% in the South East and 0.9% nationally.

Switching on the Christmas lights in Guildford High Street, 2017.

It adds that footfall figures also increased year-on-year, with Guildford experiencing a 2.8% increase in visitors compared to the same period in 2016, versus a decline of 1.1% nationally and static figures seen across other towns in the South East.

Experience Guildford mounted a “strong marketing campaign” throughout November and December that it says “did much to put the town on the map during the festive season, drawing in visitors from near and far”

The annual Guildford Christmas lights switch-on event which was attended by over 8,000 visitors.

Experience Guildford again produced and distributed its Guildford Little Book of Offers – a promotional booklet featuring more than 130 offers from the town’s leisure and lifestyle, eating, drinking and retail businesses. The book generated more than 3,600 voucher redemptions, with more than 50% of these made up of shopping-based promotions.

Free parking offers introduced by Experience Guildford and Guildford Borough Council was aimed to encourage footfall during Thursday late night shopping days during the run-up to Christmas. This resulted in an average footfall figure increase of 6% across all Thursdays from November 23 to December 21.

There was a media advertising campaign to promote Guildford as the premier shopping and leisure destination during the festive period. Advertising was scheduled across local glossy magazines, regional newspapers, local radio stations and outdoors.

Amanda Masters, general manager of Experience Guildford, said: “Competition on our high streets from online and out of town retailers remains fierce and it is great to see that Guildford remains a key contender for customers looking to spend their time and their money.

“Our robust footfall figures have translated into a positive picture for businesses throughout the town, ensuring that they maintain and grow their market share during one of the most competitive seasons in the retail calendar.”

To find out more about Experience Guildford and its initiatives to support businesses in the town centre visit www.experienceguildford.com