HULL'S shopping centres are bucking the trend, with rising footfall figures as others continue to struggle. Nationally, the retail sector reported that footfall dropped by 2.9 per cent in October – its worst performance of the year.
But Hull's St Stephen's shopping centre reported a 25.6 per cent rise while the Prospect Shopping Centre, city centre, said footfall topped 471,566 in the same month.
Jim Harris, centre manager at St Stephen's, said: "I think as a shopping centre we have got our offer right.
"We have a good mix of shops, a great atmosphere and a great leisure offering.
"Hull is an attractive place for retailers and the city's overall retail and leisure offering is helping traders and pulling in customers from across the Yorkshire and Humber region.
"We're feeling really upbeat about Christmas at St Stephen's. We want the people of Hull and the East Riding to have a fantastic time and enjoy their shopping experience.
"We've got all the latest brands here, from top international brands to quirky pop-up stores especially for Christmas, like Hawkins Bazaar.
"We also have a great leisure offering and food to suit all tastes, from Mexican, Chinese, Prezzo and Nando's to the Handmade Burger Co, Wok&Go, Burger King, Greggs and Starbucks."
According to industry indicators the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Springboard Footfall Monitor, the high street was the most impacted, with shopper numbers down 3.6 per cent, while shopping centre visitors dipped 2.9 per cent.
Footfall was down in all regions across the UK apart from the East, which edged up by 0.8 per cent.
However, St Stephen's has continued to attract shoppers to the centre and is on track to record positive performances across the quarter four and the festive season.
During 2013, the shopping centre has also reported a significant increase in "dwell time" – the time each shopper spends in the centre – up year-on-year from 48 minutes to an hour. Spend has also increased significantly.
The Prospect Shopping Centre will open its new food court later this month after striking a deal with fast-food giant Burger King and CPL Foods Ltd.
The plans will breathe fresh life into the centre's atrium, which has been vacant since 2007, as well as creating more than 50 jobs.
Burger King, which already has a restaurant in St Stephen's shopping centre, will be joined by Pizza Neo, REAL Café.co, El Taco Loco and Wuji in the new facility.
Lee Appleton, manager of the Prospect Shopping Centre, said: "Our figures for October 2013 are level on October of the previous year, which demonstrates a really strong following for the Prospect Shopping Centre from people across the city.
"Retailers within the centre have recorded very strong figures, with most seeing a healthy increase in sales.
"By trying to expand our offerings, we've ensured numbers have remained high. Events like UPMarket, coupled with a variety of stores, ranging from fashion and supermarkets to food and drink, have all helped.
"StrEAT, our new food court, will help us to continue recording such positive numbers."
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