North East shopping centre extends trading hours on…

North East shopping centre extends trading hours on the back of strong footfall

Newcastle shopping centre Eldon Square has extended its trading hours on the back of strong footfall and consumer demand.

The city centre retail complex has closed at 6pm on a regular basis since the pandemic, which forced its tenants to close for months on end during national lockdowns. Now, however, following a strong festive period which has seen footfall return to pre-pandemic levels, the centre has announced it will be open for one extra hour per day to support the interest in shopping, dining and leisure hub.

The centre will be open 9am to 7pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, with late night trading on Thursday from 9am to 8pm, and 11am to 5pm on Sunday. The announcement comes on the back of news that retail unit occupancy levels have returned to pre-pandemic levels, bolstered by the attraction of several new global retail giants such as Mango, Victoria’s Secret, and Swatch.

In addition to this, Eldon Square has also seen visitor levels increase quarter-on-quarter for the past two years, with footfall in the centre up 42.9% compared to 2021. Cormac Hamilton, general manager at Eldon Square, said the centre was broadening its offering of retail stores and dining and leisure activities, saying the additional one hour of trading would give those that work later or have daytime commitments the opportunity to experience the centre without having to rush.

He added: “We’re delighted to be giving people more time to experience everything that Eldon Square has to offer and to enjoy time with friends and family by exploring our range of world-class retail brands, by indulging in some delicious food and drink at one of our many cafes and restaurants, or even taking part in a spot of bowling.

“With the centre offering a greater selection of global brands than ever before as well as a variety of leading local independents, we are sure that Eldon Square will grow and develop as the vibrant social hub that our customers and retailers have grown to love. We have many exciting plans for 2023 and extending our trading hours will only support in delivering them.”

The announcement comes after new data from Barclaycard showed consumer spending lifted by 10.6% in 2022, despite retailers seeing a slump as rising energy costs dragged on budgets. Spending on restaurants also grew by 37.1% for the year, while pubs, bars and clubs recorded a 53.6% increase.

Retail expert Springboard said footfall across the UK’s retail destinations dropped by more than a quarter in the week after Christmas - largely because the week’s figures began on Christmas Day a Sunday, when footfall is at its lowest. Springboard also said the end of 2022 saw a spike in footfall on Boxing Day when footfall was 38.8% higher than in 2021.