London’s West End witnessed a substantial surge in footfall during the Black Friday weekend, signaling a positive start to the festive trading season, as reported by the New West End Company (NWEC). This weekend not only marked a significant increase in foot traffic for the holiday shopping season, aligning with NWEC’s predictions but also stood out as the busiest day in 2023, slightly exceeding pre-pandemic figures from 2019.
This milestone is noteworthy, considering the ongoing recovery in physical shopping post-pandemic, where footfall has struggled to reach the levels observed before the global health crisis, mainly due to the sustained prominence of online retail.
The upswing in the West End was primarily driven by early morning shoppers, demonstrating a trend of informed consumers seeking early bird deals in-store, even amidst closures affecting the Elizabeth Line tube transportation.
NWEC’s on-street survey revealed that 60% of visitors identified Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals as a primary motivation for visiting the capital, with 33% expressing an inclination to spend more as a result.
As consumer preferences shift towards experiential offerings post-pandemic, the weekend also marked the return of the West End’s ‘Magic Days’ campaign. This initiative introduces festive ‘surprise and delight’ moments, including on-street entertainment and exclusive in-store deals, across three weekends in December.
In celebration of the positive trading season start, NWEC collaborated with Outernet to showcase Oxford Street’s inaugural festive advert. The ad highlights the district’s festive activities, ranging from a life-size enchanted snow globe by Uniqlo to the first ice rink in Hanover Square.
NWEC CEO Dee Corsi expressed optimism about the consecutive weekends of significant uplift, underscoring the West End’s resilience amid challenging economic conditions. Forecasts from NWEC, released in November, predict robust consumer spending during the festive period, reaching up to £1.64 billion. Domestic spend is anticipated to peak on Black Friday and December 23, while international spend is expected to reach its zenith on Boxing Day.
