London’s West End has bucked national trends this festive period. Most impressively, its H Street corridor saw a radical increase in pedestrian activity from late November to early December. Creative marketing paired with quaint, small-town charm have drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors to retailers in this booming area. This is a very encouraging beginning to the Christmas shopping season!
Statistics from the New West End Company (NWEC) indicate visitor footfall on Regent Street rocketed by 33.7%. This amazing spike followed the very first Sunday Streets event. It worked, producing a festive atmosphere that drew in shoppers looking to get in the holiday mood. Following this event, live performances on Oxford Street further boosted footfall by 25.1%, solidifying this period as one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.
That December 6–7 weekend was one of the busiest on record. The welcoming pedestrianization of Regent Street and the pulsating, exuberant, live entertainment on Oxford Street were magnets to huge crowds. This trend underscores a fast-changing retail environment in which experiential gatherings are attracting bigger cohorts.
During the week leading up to Black Friday, footfall increased by 9% from the previous year. This was on top of an overall increase of 4.1% over Black Friday week. The increase trend was maintained the week after Black Friday with a 6.2% increase in traffic. These numbers are a testament to the rebound in consumer confidence and spending as shoppers optimistic about the upcoming holiday season line up to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Rosie Hanley, brand director for John Lewis warned that half of consumers have done their Christmas shopping by the end of November. “This weekend we are still expecting one of our biggest weekends when people who have left it maybe to the last minute come in to buy presents and extra bedding and towels for guests,” she stated, indicating that retailers are gearing up for increased demand.
Shoppers of all stripes have different ideas about when they want to begin their journeys through the holiday shopping season. Just like some of our friends and family dive into their Christmas shopping right around December 1st. Then you have those who wait until immediately before the holiday to go all-in on the eggnog. One shopper expressed her plan, stating, “John Lewis for coffee, followed by Selfridges, and then we might have steak for lunch.” It points to the social aspect of shopping during the holiday season.
Black Friday, whose roots lie in the United States, has been warmly welcomed by British retailers. It turned into a watershed moment of the holiday shopping season, profoundly reshaping the timing and flow of consumer behavior.
What began with our evening events on Regent Street and Oxford Street has unofficially launched the Christmas shopping season. Crowds are streaming in, ready to shop local and celebrate community. The exciting vibe has increased sales by 30%. It has produced a magical atmosphere that millions of shoppers look forward to experiencing each holiday season.