8.5m shoppers flock to Leeds city centre

Footfall figures are continuing to thrive as city centre trade capitalises on the launch of Victoria Gate and the Christmas shopping rush.
PIC: Tony JohnsonPIC: Tony Johnson
PIC: Tony Johnson

Figures reveal footfall between last week and the third week of October, when the £165m development launched, has totalled over 8.5 million

Compared to the same period in 2015 that is 919,755 extra visitors - a total increase of 12.1 per cent.

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Kirkgate Market also saw an increase in numbers which has encouraged Leeds City Council as it nears the end of a major renovation and overhaul.

Council leader Judith Blake said: “This level of footfall increase shows the immediate impact of Victoria Gate and what a major asset it is, greatly strengthening the retail offer in the city centre as with Trinity Leeds and generating significant benefits for Leeds. It is great to see footfall up across all parts of the city centre, including in Trinity Leeds. With the number of visitors to Kirkgate Market up by almost 20,000 compared to the same week last year, it is clear the benefits are also being felt by our independent retailers, which was one of our aims for Victoria Gate as well as one of the objectives of the refurbishment of the Market, so it is very pleasing to see that effect happening already.”

Broken down the statistics revealed to the Yorkshire Evening Post show footfall in Leeds city centre for the week following the much anticipated opening was an extra 296,721 (23.7 per cent).

And with the exception of one week in November when snow and bad weather landed in Leeds there has been a continual improvement on last year’s figures.

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For the week commencing October 31, footfall was 1,359,174, an increase of 215,674 (18.86%). November 7, 1,311,827, 144,008 (12.33%), November 14, 1,190,947, -32,359, (-2.65%). November 21, 1,519,453, 123,537 (8.85%).

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