Stores celebrate record trading over New Year
9:10am Monday 9th January 2012 in News
SHOPPING centres across Bolton have enjoyed some cheer in the New Year.
Early indications show that many traders have enjoyed a healthy footfall in recent days — with some businesses reporting record trade and visitor numbers.
Long weekends with Christmas and New Year bank holidays have seen a boost in trade for shops and family attractions like cinema and restaurants.
Heather Ingham, the marketing manager for Middlebrook Retail Park, said the site’s shops, cinema, restaurants and a car showroom had all been busy.
“All the shops have being doing really well. On Boxing Day, we had queues at Next, River Island and Boots, and sales have progressed very well. River Island, for example, had some strong lines and low prices. A lot of shops are doing well with reductions and say they are getting low on stock, which is a good sign.
“The Hurley shop did really well, especially the menswear department which has taken more than it has ever done. It seems that men have been looking for bargains — or women shopping for them.”
Mrs Ingham said the Kia car showroom had sold 37 per cent more cars than this time last year.
Away from shopping, the Vue cinema attracted 3,500 visitors on Christmas Eve, 2,500 on New Year’s Eve and more than 3,000 on January 2. Children were attracted to films including the animated Arthur Christmas, which also boosted trade at restaurants.
Middlebrook visitor numbers for the week leading up to Christmas were nine per cent up on last year, she added.
Elsewhere, Malcolm Angus, manager of Crompton Place in Bolton town centre, said: “The week leading up to Christmas was very busy and visitor numbers were up by 4.3 per cent on last year. In the week starting December 19, we had 171,000 shoppers. In the week starting on Boxing Day, we had 126,000 shoppers, which is 0.7 per cent higher than last year.
“In general, shoppers came out later than last year. Our visitor figures for early December were not great but people put off their shopping until the last minute. We haven’t had the figures for the first week of January yet but trade has been steady and all the retailers have had good sales.”
Crompton Place’s website is now promoting St Andrew’s Court, opposite HMV. The court has been bought and renovated by Bolton-based S and S Assets and a number of small shops have opened. It was previously owned by the Royal Mail Pensions Trust, which still owns Crompton Place. Mr Angus added: “The more people that come to the area, the better for us all.”
