Black Friday boosts footfall in London's West End

London - New figures released by the New West End Company reveal Black Friday weekend reasserted its place as a stalwart on the retail calendar this year.

With an uplift in footfall emerging across the entire weekend (+3.8 percent increase from last year) and particular peaks on Black Friday itself (+4.5 percent year-on-year increase), it is clear that consumers made a conscious decision to tread the high streets this year instead of scrolling the web pages.

Between 8pm-9pm on Black Friday, Bond Street and Regent Street saw significant footfall increases of 57.4 percent and 21.1 percent, respectively. Visitor traffic also rose over 50 percent in Oxford Street.

Meanwhile, between 8pm-9pm on Saturday, West End footfall rose 15 percent and by 28.5 percent between 9pm-10pm. The same two hours on Sunday saw footfall up 54 percent and 32 percent, respectively.

Jace Tyrrell, New West End Company chief executive, commented: “We’ve seen a tremendous start to the day in London’s West End this Black Friday – in the first four hours of trading we have seen a 10 percent uplift in footfall compared to Black Friday last year. There is a terrific atmosphere on the streets, with shoppers enjoying the first discounts of the season in an unashamedly festive setting. I have seen people bringing suitcases with them in order to carry their purchases home."

Photo Credit: New West End Company website