Busiest bank holiday weekend on record at NI’s Rushmore Shopping Centre

Rushmore Shopping Centre in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, reported over 136,000 visitors over the May Day Bank Holiday Weekend, its busiest bank holiday weekend on record.

Rushmere said daily visitor numbers from Friday through to the close of business on Monday were similar to those seen in the last few days before Christmas in a normal trading year.

It comes after restrictions on non-essential retail outlets in the country were lifted on Friday April 30.

Restrictions on indoor dining are expected to be lifted on May 24.

Rushmere Shopping Centre manager, Martin Walsh, said in a statement: “Though we had been anticipating a busy return last weekend, we were delighted to record an unprecedented number of shoppers visiting the centre and retail park right through the four-day shopping period and that despite being busy, everyone was in really great spirits and delighted to be back. It was very encouraging to see.

“Customers and staff were delighted to be safely back out and about and the buzz was fantastic. From our research, shoppers were returning not only to bag themselves a bargain but also to spend some of their lockdown savings on a pre-summer splurge.”