Scarborough town centre footfall in run up to Christmas higher than in 2018, new figures show

Figures obtained by Scarborough Borough Council show a 4.1% boost to town centre footfall in the weeks leading up to Christmas last year, compared with 2018.

The increase is being attributed to the town’s business-led Counting Down to Christmas campaign which aimed to get more people to visit, shop and eat in the town centre through

a series of festive events and markets, a celebrity lights switch-on, town centre treasure trail, special offers from local businesses and free car parking.

The private sector led Christmas steering group believe that that their collective efforts resulted in footfall in the town centre increasing by 22,906 from 556,828 in December 2018 to 579,734 in December 2019.

Sue Anderson-Brown, Chair of the Scarborough Town Centre Christmas Steering Group said: "It's heartening to know that the hard work and resource invested by all partners paid

dividends. We should all be very proud of achieving positive footfall growth on the run up to Christmas and in bucking the downward national trend. I'm pleased to report from a Brunswick perspective that it converted to spend, with many of our retailers reporting a better than expected trading period.”

Looking forward in 2020, Sue Anderson-Brown added: “All of us involved in retail, regardless of size, have been hard hit in recent years by increased operating costs, consumer confidence, changing behaviour and spending habits. The pressure on us all as high street operators, however, is expected to continue into 2020. Now more than ever, Scarborough town centre must unite and offer a year-round programme of engaging experiences and provide compelling reasons for both our local consumers and tourists to visits and spend.”

Kerry Carruthers, Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Coast BID, added: “It was great to see so many businesses come together to create last year’s Christmas campaign and it’s down to the collaboration and dedication of those involved that it was such a fantastic success for the town."

Planning for the 2020 Counting Down to Christmas is already underway.