City sees rise in footfall and recovery post summer disorder, but suffers lack of events

Liverpool is bemoaning the absence of major events, such as Eurovision last year, which has led to a dip in spending, new figures reveal.

A similar study has shown the value of events to Warrington, which has benefited from a rise in footfall during the summer period.

Data from Beauclair, compiled and shared by the Liverpool BID Company, shows the city saw an increase in footfall over the summer months – June to August – but hotels and spend in shops and restaurants dipped compared with 2023 with a lack of major sports and cultural events in the city centre. 

The findings revealed a 4.1% increase in footfall compared with 2023, and a 2.3% increase on the year to date compared with last year. The figure is down 3.3% compared with 2019.

In June, city centre footfall was up 6.4% compared with 2023 with 8,202,167 visitors.

The peak hour of the month was 15:00 on Saturday, June 22, 2024, with a footfall of 28,953. In July, there were 6,813,170 total visitors. The busiest day in the month commencing July 1, 2024 was Saturday, July 27,with 335,246 visitors. The peak hour of the month was 15:00 on Saturday, July 27, 2024, with a footfall of 29,650.

In August, the impact of the violent disorder, in the wake of the tragic Southport stabbings, can be clearly seen in footfall.

The BID was forced to postpone its Celebrating Castle Street event on July 28 when hundreds of protesters clashed near the Pier Head and in the city centre the day before.

It also had to postpone its Celebrating Bold Street event on August 11, as a result of the unrest.

Year on year, the footfall for the month is up 0.6%. However, the week after the riots when compared with 2023 sees a 6.4% drop in footfall. That recovered the following week to 1.6%.

During the same three month period, Liverpool saw a -0.1% drop in spend. Tourism spend in particular was down -3.5% during June and July.

In 2023 major events like The Open and the impact of Eurovision on summer tourism visits helped to boost spend in the city centre.

In the year to date, however, Liverpool is outperforming the national average which is down four per cent.

June’s monthly sales saw a two per cent increase on 2023 with a 5.8% increase in customer numbers but a slight decline in spend per customer of 3.8%.

July saw a drop of 4.1% in monthly spend but a year to date drop of a marginal 0.3%.

Hotels in the city saw the impact of a lack of major international events with occupancy at 78%, down -4.6% year on year.

Bill Addy is CEO of Liverpool BID Company, and said: “We’re seeing a good summer, in terms of bucking a national trend where we’ve seen different sectors grow.

“The boost to food and drink is something we see in the footfall data where we see somewhere like Bold Street record an increase in footfall over the summer as it really becomes a destination for food and drink for locals and visitors alike.”

He added: The impact of the riots is really there to see as there’s a huge drop in footfall that week as confidence is hit, but it comes back again stronger.

“What we do need to have a conversation about is Liverpool competing for these major events that attract people from all over the world and thinking about how we make sure our city centre businesses can rely on that year in and year out.”

He said: It’s about scale, and it’s about having these huge activities, like The Open, like Eurovision, that put the city on the map.

“Tourism is a major industry in this city employing thousands of people, but its impact is felt across many other sectors.”

Liverpool operates an Accommodation BID (ABID), established in 2023 and managed by the city hotels and serviced accommodation providers and Liverpool BID Company.

As part of the ABID, hotels above a rateable value pay a levy, contributing to a subvention fund to help the city attract major events which boost hotel stays. This has included Eurovision and the Labour Party Conference.

Meanwhile, Warrington town centre has experienced a significant boost in visitor numbers, with figures showing nearly two million people visited in just eight weeks.  

This surge, recorded in May and June and driven by a series of popular events, has notably increased footfall at Time Square, Warrington’s key destination for shopping, dining and leisure.

Time Square

While the entire town centre has been bustling due to events like Warrington Mela, Proms in the Square, Warrington Pride and Krazy Races, Time Square has emerged as a major beneficiary of this influx.

The development, which opened in 2020 as part of a regeneration project, is now recording some of its highest visitor numbers to date.

Cllr Laura Watson, Cabinet Member for Economy, Growth and Quality Work, said: “The rise in footfall across Warrington town centre has had a direct and positive impact on Time Square.

“Our development has attracted more visitors as it becomes increasingly central to the town’s activity. The success of recent events has been reflected in Time Square’s rising numbers, underlining its growing role in the community.”

Time Square’s shops, restaurants and entertainment venues, including the modern cinema and the bustling Cookhouse at Warrington Market, have all seen a rise in visitors. The Cookhouse, in particular, reported its busiest Sunday ever, with footfall increasing by up to 190% on key event days.

Cllr Watson added: “The combination of town centre events and the attractions at Time Square has created a strong draw for both locals and visitors.”

Overall, footfall in Warrington town centre has increased by 6.2% compared with the first half of 2023, with Time Square playing a key role in this growth.

Andrea Morley, Project Manager for Warrington Business Improvement District (BID), said: “The increase in visitor numbers across the town centre shows that Warrington’s economic and cultural revival is well under way.

“Time Square, with its central location and variety of offerings, has been a significant part of this progress, and we’re looking forward to building on this momentum with more events and initiatives to keep the town centre thriving.”