Footfall in Manchester exceeds 2019 levels

Footfall in Manchester city centre has exceeded pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest research from Manchester BID and CityCo.

On Saturday 11 March, footfall was up 49.4% on 2019 levels, with the city welcoming over 124,000 visitors in comparison to 70,605 over the same period in 2019.

March footfall (5-11 March 2023) was up 5.8% year-on-year, double the national average footfall increase of 2.4%.

It comes after figures from the State of the North study from CGA by NielsenIQ showed northern cities are leading a bounceback in industry sales after the pandemic, with average sales per hospitality venue in York increasing by 16% between 2019 and 2022, which was almost four times the national average growth rate of 4.1%.

Sacha Lord, night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said: “The city-region was the hardest hit during the pandemic and has bounced back to become one of the strongest regions in the UK for economic recovery.

“We all know the trials and tribulations the hospitality industry has faced in the past three years, and these figures are testament to the motivation and hard work of the operators across the region."

He added: "While footfall in the city centre and across our urban boroughs is above expectations, there is still a long way to go. Small and medium businesses must remain supported, and I was disappointed last week that further energy support for business was not mentioned in the Chancellor's Budget.

“I urge the Government and Treasury to reconsider its level of support for the UK’s fifth largest industry to avoid these unnecessary closures and job losses.”