With retail starting the new year on a downward trend – Marks & Spencer has announced the closure of a further 17 stores, and Paperchase is looking at a CVA – the latest footfall and vacancy rate figures for Ashford demonstrate that Ashford’s town centre is impressively bucking the national trend.
Footfall for the 2018 year to date is up by 5.8% on the previous year, with December 2018’s footfall up 27% compared to December 2017. Some 80,500 visitors shopped in the town the week before Christmas, with footfall up an impressive 52% during Christmas week itself. Additionally, the 2018 trend showed the vacancy rate reducing, while the national benchmark is seeing an increase.
Almost 6.2 million people visited the shopping centre last year, with Park Mall’s Made in Ashford’s 2018 trading figures up 30% on December 2017. Independent retailers’ 2018 trading figures were up by 17% on 2017 figures.
Comments Melissa Dawkins, curator and manager of Made in Ashford in Park Mall – an independent led shop run by a community of over 50 small creative businesses from Ashford and the surrounding areas: “Made in Ashford saw our best Christmas ever, with trading up 30% on December last year. We finished our year up 17% on our previous year which we are very pleased with. The shop has grown from strength to strength, with us peaking at 50 different creative, local businesses trading from our store at one time this year.”
Speaking specifically about gifts, Melissa told GiftsandHome.net: “Around 80% of Made In Ashford is gifts, ranging from candles to jewellery to glassware and hand painted ceramics. We also sell signs, scarves and some clothing. Our current best sellers however, are pictures made from pebbles. With a price point of £10-£15 they’re really good value and fit in well with an average in store spend of between £20-£30. We have started 2019 by doing a refit – by ourselves – to make our shop even better and we are very confident and excited about the future in our town.”
Melissa continues: “The local community is continuing to be very positive about independent retail on our high street and are keen to support us which is another major factor in it being a fantastic year for us. We have started 2019 by doing a refit – by ourselves – to make our shop even better and we are very confident and excited about the future in our town.”
Graham Galpin, portfolio holder for the town centre, is pleased to see that Ashford high street is more than holding its own in challenging times. “The positive investment in the town is having a knock on effect, with Ashford College bringing students into the town, the Commercial Quarter bringing in office workers, plus we have the Elwick Place cinema and new Brewery adding to our leisure and night time offer.
“Town centres need to be reinvented for life in the 21stcentury and if we don’t repurpose and change the offer then we won’t have a high street to worry about. An important part of what we offer is that fun element, otherwise we could just end up with a town that is very lacklustre, and we have all seen several of these up and down the country. Every town needs to keep working hard to improve.”
Top: Made In Ashford saw trading up 30% in December.
