Sacha Lord has praised Manchester’s hospitality businesses, as new data places the city’s post-pandemic recovery as being miles ahead of that seen in London. Manchester is in third place behind Glasgow and number one and Bristol at number two.
London is currently at number nine, according to data released by CGI and Wireless Social, which logged sales figures and device log-ins to determine footfall.
"This data shows that we're moving in the right direction, despite the economic difficulties currently being faced by the leisure, tourism and hospitality sectors,” said Lord.
"Not only are we seeing a tourism boost as a result of the unique and cultural events Manchester has to offer, but we're also seeing good recovery in the day time trade for hospitality, buoyed by lunchtime and after work sales, as offices continue to attract employees back.
“There's no doubt we've seen a shift in working patterns, and flexibility is something we continue to support, but I believe there's a real opportunity now for the sector to adapt and offer points of differences, not just on Saturday and Sunday but throughout the week. The heatwave across the weeks ahead will also provide a boost and bring much-needed confidence back to the sector.”
London, and particularly areas like the City of London, has particularly suffered with many hospitality businesses unable to re-open following the pandemic as workers were slow to return to working in the office. Though some Manchester businesses closed due to decreased footfall, the impact was less pronounced.
Manchester has also seen a boost in recovery in recent weeks, with events like Parklife, last week’s Sounds of the City events at Castlefield, and high profile gigs from the likes of Harry Styles and the Red Hot Chili Peppers flooding the city - and the city’s bars and restaurants - with punters.
The Castlefield events alone accounted for an increased footfall of 55,000 people, while the Women’s Euros recorded a record attendance of nearly 70,000, while 400,000 people were said to have hit Manchester over the weekend that boasted Parklife and live shows from Ed Sheeran, The Killers and Alicia Keys.
However, Lord, who recently launched a ' Hospitality Hour ' across the city giving away free pints, says that while we are making progress, there is still some way to go yet. Shockwaves from the cost of living crisis and the vertical hike in energy bills mean that hospitality businesses still face potential ‘ disaster ’.
He went on: “While footfall in the city centre and across our urban boroughs is above expectations, there is still a long way to go. We need to ensure that amid the Westminster drama and politics, small and medium businesses remain supported, and that the Levelling Up strategy is brought back onto the agenda - it's a topic that has fallen off a cliff, and in order to continue our recovery, we need to ensure the North remains in focus and as a key area for investment.”
Soaring temperatures this week - which look set to continue into the weekend - should also bolster numbers of people heading out to bars and restaurants.
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