Footfall data from Liverpool BID Company, which manages two main areas in the city centre covering a Retail and Leisure district and the Commercial District, shows the discount scheme helped the city to see its largest level of footfall since lockdown began in March 2020, with a 27% uplift on July.
On the final Wednesday of the scheme (26 August) footfall figures were just a fraction under the last Wednesday before lockdown was introduced in March 2020, with footfall recorded at 180,154 on 26 August, compared with 182,145 on Wednesday 11 March.
The data refers to footfall across Liverpool’s two Business Improvement Districts (BID) areas, which encompass the Commercial District from the Strand, Castle Street, James Street and up to Liverpool ONE, and the Retail and Leisure area, leading from Lord Street and Victoria Street, across Church Street, St John’s Market, Williamson Square and up to Bold Street, ending at Berry Street and Renshaw Street.
According to the data, the biggest impact of EOHO has been felt on Mondays, where there has been a noticeable increase in footfall throughout August, compared with Mondays in July.
“The scheme has provided a much-needed boost for both Liverpool’s hospitality sector, but also for the city itself,” says Bill Addy, chief executive of Liverpool BID Company.
“The hard work isn’t over, however, and as the scheme ends we’re looking at how we can continue to support our retail and hospitality businesses, significantly at ways in which we can continue to support outdoor dining later in the year.
“The sector has continued to come to us with their concerns and we will continue to lobby on their behalf, locally, regionally and nationally to ensure they get the help they need to survive this year”.
Liverpool’s overall footfall, however, is around a third down on the same period last year, largely due to a lack of international tourism and office workers.