Manchester BID reports fashion footfall boost
THE high profile fashion event in central Manchester drove footfall by more than 100%, organisers said.
Vogue magazine’s Fashion’s Night Out made its debut in the city last week, and drew thousands of people to key retail zones including King Street and Exchange Square.
Figures released by The Heart of Manchester BID, which organised the event with Vogue, show footfall was up 118% on King Street, by 107% in Exchange Square and by 87% on New Cathedral Street, compared to the
same time the previous week.
Shopper numbers peaked at 6pm with footfall staying well above average
across the city until after 10pm. At times, Exchange Square, Market Street and New Cathedral Street saw more than 4,000 shoppers descend on each location.
More than 160 city centre shops, bars and restaurants took part in the global shopping event which attracted designers Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders, Julien Macdonald, Matthew Williamson, Erdem,
Henry Holland and Roksanda Ilincic, alongside fashion shows, DJ sets and exclusive parties.
Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester City Council’s city centre spokesperson said: “To host this event instead of London has been fantastic and really shows Manchester is a mecca for fashion. It was a wonderful evening for both local people and visitors alike and has been a real boost for the local economy.”
Jane Sharrocks, general manager of Selfridges in Exchange Square and chair of the Heart of Manchester BID said: “Our role as a Business Improvement District is to ensure we showcase Manchester’s unique retail offering to as wide an audience as possible. This event has done exactly that and put our retailers firmly in the spotlight.”
