Shoppers give city centre the bodyswerve

Published on Wednesday 23 December 2009 09:00

Despite an £800,000 marketing push, Edinburgh looks to have lost a little of its Christmas sparkle . . .

THE number of Christmas shoppers visiting Edinburgh's city centre has slumped, despite the biggest ever marketing campaign for it.

The Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance's 800,000 "Edinburgh Sparkles" campaign saw the Capital aggressively promoted to shoppers in cities across the UK, yet new data reveals that footfall in the city centre has dipped by 6.3 per cent so far this month, compared with December 2008.

It was even worse on Princes Street, where pedestrian traffic plunged by nearly 10 per cent, despite the street reopening to buses and taxis at the end of November following lengthy tram work.

Norma Hart, economic development spokeswoman for the city council's Labour group, said: "It clearly is disappointing that Princes Street has suffered such a considerable drop in footfall, especially after DEMA have invested this funding.

"Both DEMA and Essential Edinburgh will have to look carefully at the reasons for this and how we can reverse this trend."

"Edinburgh Sparkles" was funded mainly by DEMA and tram firm TIE. It featured billboard advertising in London's airports and Glasgow Queen Street station, while images of the city and details of its festive offering were projected on to buildings in cities such as Manchester and Newcastle.

Prime-time TV ads also featured in the campaign – including one shown during The X Factor.

Conservative city centre councillor Joanna Mowat said: "Is the marketing campaign working? The only way we could know that is if surveys are being taken to ask what brought people to Edinburgh, but it is good to have a campaign across the UK because other cities are doing it."

The latest figures compare the three full weeks from Monday, 30 November, this year with the three full weeks from Monday, 1 December, 2008.

Shandwick Place, Rose Street and South Bridge all suffered double-digit declines in footfall, while the High Street and Princes Street also saw declines of 9.9 per cent and 9.7 per cent respectively.

The recent bad weather is also thought to have been a factor, with shoppers either staying away from the city centre or walking around less than usual.

There were some parts of the city that saw footfall growth. The end of work at the Grassmarket contributed to a 69 per cent rise, while there were also increases in footfall on George Street, Lothian Road and St Andrew Square.

Retailers are hopeful that having four trading days on the week of Christmas this year, compared with three before Christmas last year, will mean the figures will bounce back this week.

Today and tomorrow are likely to be critical in determining whether it has been a good December for retailers.

Michael Apter, chairman of the West End Association, and director of Paper Tiger on Lothian Road and Studio One on Morningside Road, said: "The fact that Christmas Day is a Friday has been a big factor. There have been fewer people about until today, with the schools breaking up.

"Princes Street is surprising because it is lower than we would have expected, but if looking for positives, at least people are still shopping. Despite ten months of bad news, 95 per cent of people (from last Christmas) are still shopping here."

Some retailers also indicated that sales have been strong.

The St James Centre said 58 per cent of retailers hit target in November, which was up by more than a third on November 2008.

Rochelle Weir, general manager at the St James Centre, said footfall has been up since tram work ended. Multrees Walk has also seen increases in foot traffic.

Figures from John Lewis also show that sales were up 6.5 per cent in its Edinburgh store in the week to December 12, compared with the same week last year.

Tourist attractions have also said they are doing well, with Edinburgh Castle reporting that visitor numbers in the first three weeks of December have increased by 9.8 per cent on the same period last year.

Kenneth Wardrop, head of DEMA, said: "It is too early to say whether this festive season has been a success for retailers, hotels and visitor attractions. Footfall figures are up in some areas and down in others and the weather tends to influence them quite heavily, but early indications are that business is going well. We will make a full evaluation next year once we have access to sales figures."

He said that he has had positive feedback from retailers including Jenners, Marks & Spencer and HMV, as well as other businesses, and added: "The proof is in the sales, rather than how many people walk up and down the street."

Graham Birse, deputy chief executive of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce – and chairman of the Open for Business Group that was part of the "Edinburgh Sparkles" campaign – said: "There are different ways of measuring the success of the marketing campaign, and the 'Edinburgh Sparkles' campaign has been a great success with sightings of the marketing reported back from as far afield as Southampton, Liverpool and Luton."

Mandy Haeburn-Little, director of customer services and communications at TIE, said: "The feedback we have had to the 'Edinburgh Sparkles' campaign has been excellent."

Councillor Tom Buchanan, the city's economic development leader, insisted that, despite the footfall declines, anecdotal evidence from businesses suggested that the city is enjoying a good run-up to Christmas.

"City centre retailers, hotels and visitor attractions are reporting a buoyant December to date and have welcomed the promotional efforts of the 'Edinburgh Sparkles' campaign," he said.

"I am particularly encouraged by the increase in footfall in St Andrew Square and the Grassmarket, both of which are benefiting from recent public realm investment."