High street buoyed by Jubilee crowds
The UK saw a football boost of 6.9 per cent over the long weekend, as Brits flocked to high streets to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.
Retail destinations across the country saw an uplift in crowds over the weekend, compared to the average for May 2022, according to BRC-Sensormatic IQ data.
Thursday, the first bank holiday of the long weekend, was the best performing day, with a 45.6 per cent improvement in footfall, versus the average for May 2022
“The public took to the streets for the Jubilee celebrations, with retail footfall enjoying significant improvements over the early parts of the long weekend,” Helen Dickinson OBE, chief executive of British Retail Consortium, said.
She added: “More people hit the shops, with many on the hunt for Jubilee decorations, garden accessories and new outfits. Thursday saw the best footfall as the public readied for a weekend of celebrations, from street parties to festivals.”
It comes after warnings that jubilee fervour driving shoppers back to bricks-and-mortar stores was “fragile” and could be upended by the cost-of-living crisis.
According to figures released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), visitor numbers inched up 0.6 per cent between April and May, but are down 12.5 per cent since 2019, the Press Association reported last week.
Rob Cameron, CEO, Barclaycard Payments said: “Spending soared across many sectors during the Platinum Jubilee weekend as Brits came together to celebrate and enjoy the sunny weather. Despite wider concerns around the cost of living, the hospitality sector especially will be pleased by this welcome boost having missed out on two years of unrestricted trading. Our data also shows a significant increase in the use of public transport as people travelled to events and the nation raised a glass to the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.”
