Mixed message on festive sales

10:28am Saturday 22nd December 2012 in Business news Photograph of the Author By Haydn Lewis, haydn.lewis@thepress.co.uk

Christmas shoppers in Coney Street, York Christmas shoppers in Coney Street, York

RETAILERS hope the last weekend of shopping before Christmas will be a bumper one as city-centre footfall dips in York.

For the first 17 days of December, a total of 658,919 people were recorded shopping in Coney Street according to City of York Council figures, compared to 733,009 last year. In Parliament Street the markets have proved popular, bringing 484,218 shoppers compared with 479,278 in December last year.

With overall footfall down by about 69,150, retailers believe this weekend’s trading will boost these figures with some reporting a very good Christmas so far, but the picture is mixed across the city.

Peter Hanson, owner of the Cat Gallery in Low Petergate, said: “I am feeling very confident about trade and how we are doing.

“Sales are strong and even better than last year. The great thing for us is that because of the timing of Christmas Day, all retailers will in essence have another strong weekend before the festivities begin, which means we are forecasting a better year than last. All the signs at the moment are very positive and trade is very good, both in the shop and through our online business.”

Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York, said: “There is a mixed picture across the city with some retailers reporting very strong trade but others not doing quite as well. Certainly we know that hotel occupancy for the year to date is slightly up on the previous year by two per cent, demonstrating a strong trend for visitors to come to the city to stay for two or more nights. Overall, York is performing very well and attracting visitors from all across the UK and overseas.”

Katie Stewart, City of York Council’s head of economic development, said: “Despite what we are hearing from some retail experts that shoppers are holding out from the High Street for pre-Christmas bargains, we have had reports that trading for a number of our retailers has been strong and, in fact, footfall for Parliament Street is the highest we’ve seen for four years – great news for York’s markets and city centre retailers.”

City-centre shopper Lauren Barker, 48, of Carlton Husthwaite, said: “I have been doing all of my shopping in York city centre, but it is not nearly as busy as I would have expected.”

Outside the city centre, retailers were reporting a similarly mixed picture. Katherine Sharp, the centre manager at Monk’s Cross, said: “The build-up this year started quietly and I’m convinced that was to do with the weather because we had first floods then freezing temperatures, which kept people at home.

“But about halfway through the month, things started to pick up and the footfall year on year has started to increase. We are expecting a bumper weekend this weekend.”

Comments(17)

Even AndyD says...
10:39am Sat 22 Dec 12

Did not look as busy to me as it used to (say) five years ago. But we, like so many others, prefer the ease of internet shopping, so that is hardly surprising.

Face of the High St will need to change, I suspect.

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voiceofnormalpeople says...
11:05am Sat 22 Dec 12

We like using the internet to shop, be able to have a good look around town. but i also like to get out into town for a look around. Problem is i look fast and miss out alot of shops due to the cost of parking! I will only put a small amount in as i believe it is the biggest rip off in york. I will not pay the large amounts they want to look around town. The car parks work in the summer months when the tourists are here splashing the cash. But at christmas when the tourists arn't here the residents will not pay to be robbed by the coyc parking fees. just look at monks cross. Its always busy. free parking.

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bob the builder says...
11:22am Sat 22 Dec 12

St Georges Field is under water, Askham Bar Park and Ride is a quarter full, and the A19 will close at Fulford due to flooding before the day ends.

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sheps lad says...
11:48am Sat 22 Dec 12

bob the builder wrote:
St Georges Field is under water, Askham Bar Park and Ride is a quarter full, and the A19 will close at Fulford due to flooding before the day ends.
We're all doomed!

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peterstreet says...
11:49am Sat 22 Dec 12

Katie Stewart head of economic developement eh? did anybody see the lady non plussed and allmost struck dumb whilst her and a well known stonegate trader were being interviewed for T.V. the other night. She was peddaling the usual CYC senior officer job save line i.e. the economy is wonderfull in York when the interviewer complained about the amount of money he had been forced to pay to park for the interview, which was over £11,00. she should have been ready with an answer or at least advice for our visitors! She wasn't! she was as unready as Ethelred!Nowt of any substance to say! Head of economic developement eh? I should Koko!

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matroom says...
1:51pm Sat 22 Dec 12

York, 4 hours parking =£10.80 !!!!!
Doncaster, 4 hours parking =£3.50 !!!!

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tobefair says...
3:17pm Sat 22 Dec 12

Wakefield has the Ridings and Trinity Walk shopping centres, both very central and parking is only about £1 per hour. Parking in York even for residents is too expensive.

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bob the builder says...
4:02pm Sat 22 Dec 12

matroom wrote:
York, 4 hours parking =£10.80 !!!!!
Doncaster, 4 hours parking =£3.50 !!!!
If you think York has too many £ and charity shops, go to any town in South Yorkshire to see what it's like without tourists to pretty up the high street.

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bob the builder says...
4:06pm Sat 22 Dec 12

sheps lad wrote:
bob the builder wrote:
St Georges Field is under water, Askham Bar Park and Ride is a quarter full, and the A19 will close at Fulford due to flooding before the day ends.
We're all doomed!
Generator, fuel, radio, batteries, food and water, hasmat kit - all on standby. There's profit to be made from an 'apocalypse'.

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Even AndyD says...
7:54pm Sat 22 Dec 12

matroom wrote:
York, 4 hours parking =£10.80 !!!!!
Doncaster, 4 hours parking =£3.50 !!!!
Devil's advocate here - but York isn't Doncaster and you can't let the car be king in a city which trades on its history and aesthetic qualities. Sticking an urban motorway through it simply isn't an option. Council are trying to persuade people to park and ride.

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Jazzper says...
9:40pm Sat 22 Dec 12

Even AndyD wrote:
matroom wrote:
York, 4 hours parking =£10.80 !!!!!
Doncaster, 4 hours parking =£3.50 !!!!
Devil's advocate here - but York isn't Doncaster and you can't let the car be king in a city which trades on its history and aesthetic qualities. Sticking an urban motorway through it simply isn't an option. Council are trying to persuade people to park and ride.
Park and Ride is probably the best answer, but Park and Rip Off is not ! Yorks charges are far too expensive for families....that's the problem.

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Even AndyD says...
9:16am Sun 23 Dec 12

Jazzper wrote:
Even AndyD wrote:
matroom wrote:
York, 4 hours parking =£10.80 !!!!!
Doncaster, 4 hours parking =£3.50 !!!!
Devil's advocate here - but York isn't Doncaster and you can't let the car be king in a city which trades on its history and aesthetic qualities. Sticking an urban motorway through it simply isn't an option. Council are trying to persuade people to park and ride.
Park and Ride is probably the best answer, but Park and Rip Off is not ! Yorks charges are far too expensive for families....that's the problem.
Fair point.

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Hicarrumba says...
10:08am Sun 23 Dec 12

matroom wrote:
York, 4 hours parking =£10.80 !!!!!
Doncaster, 4 hours parking =£3.50 !!!!
Meadowhall free parking all day

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Misty Morning says...
7:02pm Sun 23 Dec 12

Foss Bank is £0.90 an hour.So £3.60 for 4 hours.
If you park in Sainsburys it's a £1 an hour max 4 hours.But you get it back if you spend over £10 in the shop.

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voiceofnormalpeople says...
8:50am Mon 24 Dec 12

i don't honestly believe that york wants a car free city. They make to much money from parking fee's. If there is some one out there that knows how many spaces there is in town and at what cost they generate then please tell us as i believe it will be thousands daily!
Can you imagine if people suddenly stopped parking in york? i bet there would be turmoil in the coyc dept. Where do we rape the residents pockets now?

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voiceofnormalpeople says...
8:59am Mon 24 Dec 12

Well here is one, castle car park =318 spaces, open 8am to 6 pm. and early always full. but even at 80% full on avarage thats each space earning £22 daily. and times that by the 254 (80%) thats £5,588 daily (£6,996 at full capacity). and thats with out fenwicks and st george's field. (276 spaces at £1.90 per hour and fenicks with 287 spaces at £2.20 per hour.) these are the parking places in york and they all charge

Park and pay by phone
Bishopthorpe Road
Bootham Row
Castle
Castle Mills
Esplanade
Foss Bank
Haymarket
Marygate
Monk Bar
Nunnery Lane
Peel Street
Piccadilly
St George's Field
St Leonard's Place
Union Terrace

So you really think york wants a car free city???

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voiceofnormalpeople says...
9:01am Mon 24 Dec 12

the only question i have is-
"what the hell do they spend all this money on"?

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