Sat, 20 Dec 2025

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 London's West End bucks Christmas shopping trends

While UK high streets saw a drop in footfall on Black Friday, the West End saw a rise in shoppers.
Central London's high streets saw an increase in foot traffic, with a 9% rise in visitors compared to last year in the week leading up to Black Friday. During Black Friday week itself, footfall rose by 4.1%, and the following week saw a 6.2% increase. The pedestrianization of Regent Street and live performances on Oxford Street contributed to the busy atmosphere, with foot traffic increasing by 33.7% and 25.1% respectively. Despite the national trend showing a decline in retail sales, the West End area in central London showed "real momentum". Many shoppers had already completed their Christmas shopping for the bulk of it, while others planned to do their last-minute shopping during the week leading up to Christmas.
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