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Footfall on Oxford Street has risen sharply since the famous shopping street went traffic-free, with early figures suggesting the change is already bringing more shoppers to the West End. The number of visitors was up 16 per cent on the October half term last year, in the first sign that pedestrianisation is having the effect its supporters hoped for.
The figures cover the half-term holiday, one of the busiest shopping periods of the autumn, when families visit the West End in large numbers. The rise in footfall suggests that shoppers are finding the traffic-free street more appealing, with more space to walk, less noise and cleaner air. Retailers will be hoping the increase continues into the Christmas shopping period, which is the most important time of year for the street.
It is not only the number of visitors that has risen. Transactions were up 19 per cent, according to figures from payments firm Adyen, and spending was up 28 per cent in the first week after the street went traffic-free. That suggests shoppers are not only visiting in greater numbers, but are also spending more when they get there, which is good news for the shops, cafes and restaurants along the street.
The effect has also been felt on public transport, with footfall outside Bond Street station up to 46 per cent above the average weekday level after the change, according to Transport for London sensors. The rise suggests that more people are choosing to travel to the West End by Tube, and that the traffic-free street is drawing visitors from across London and beyond. Transport for London said the figures were encouraging, and that it would keep monitoring how people travel to and from the area.
The early numbers are only the first test of pedestrianisation, and retailers and transport officials will want to see whether the increase is sustained over the coming months. But for now, the figures suggest that a traffic-free Oxford Street is proving popular with shoppers, and that the street's fortunes may be turning after years in which its future was questioned.
Source: Crouch End News
