Central London footfall collapses in run-up to Christmas as strikes hit

Christmas Eve footfall in central London was almost 15 per cent down on the week before as rail strikes effectively wiped out last-minute shopping plans.

December 24 is usually a bumper day for retailers as Londoners rush to pick up last-minute gifts before getting trains home, whilst Brits also flock into the capital for a festive day out.

However with train strikes disrupting travel, the exodus out of the capital came earlier than usual – with fewer coming into town to replace them.

Market town footfall was up just shy of 10 per cent according to the same data, compiled by retail consultancy Springboard.

A number of central London businesses have complained about the impact of train strikes on business, with many shortening staff hours or closing up early for the festive period.

Hospitality businesses – which rely on the run-up to Christmas for a substantial part of their annual takings – have been particularly vociferous about the impact of the RMT’s walkouts both before the Christmas break and during.

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) said feedback from its members across the UK suggested that action by rail workers had had a “deeper impact than expected.”

Businesses had seen more than 50 per cent downturn in trade on what is usually the busiest weekend of the year amid the Christmas party season. 

Strikes, including on the rail network, hammered the nighttime industry to the tune of an estimated £2bn in lost revenue, the NTIA estimated.

Bars had been hoping to reap the rewards of their first festive trading period not hindered by Covid restrictions in three years. 

As club and bar operators grapple with rising bills, the current trading environment for hospitality businesses was “untenable,” according to chief executive of the NTIA Michael Kill.

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