The New West End Company (NWEC) reports a thriving shopping weekend in London’s West End, centered around Black Friday, setting a positive tone for the upcoming festive trading season. Notably, the weekend witnessed a significant increase in footfall, aligning with NWEC’s forecasts. The Saturday following Black Friday marked the busiest day of 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic figures from 2019, a crucial milestone in the ongoing recovery of physical shopping.
Despite the overall rebound in physical shopping post-pandemic, concerns lingered about footfall struggling to match pre-crisis levels due to the strength of online shopping. The West End’s success over the weekend was attributed to early morning shoppers, with heightened footfall between 8 am and 12 pm, possibly driven by savvy consumers seeking early bird deals despite tube closures.
NWEC’s on-street survey revealed that 60% of visitors considered Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals a key motivator for their visit, with 33% expressing an intention to spend more as a result. As experiences gain importance for consumers, the weekend also marked the return of the West End’s ‘Magic Days’ campaign, featuring festive surprise moments and exclusive in-store deals across three weekends in December.
In collaboration with Outernet, NWEC premiered Oxford Street’s first festive advert, showcasing the district’s Christmas activities. The ad, displayed on Outernet’s Vista screens, captures the enchanting experiences in the West End during the holiday season.
NWEC CEO, Dee Corsi, expressed quiet optimism over the consecutive weekends of significant uplift, emphasizing the resilience of the West End in the face of challenging economic conditions. Forecasts predict consumer spending of up to £1.64 billion during the festive period, with domestic spending peaking on Black Friday and December 23, and international spending surging on Boxing Day
