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Cleveland Centre enjoys record year for footfall

MIDDLESBROUGH shoppers are returning to the town’s largest shopping centre in record numbers.

The Cleveland Centre has recorded an extra 290,852 people through its doors this year compared to the same period in 2011.

Monthly footfall is up by an average of 32,217 and The Cleveland Centre is forecasting a record 10.2million people to visit by the end of this year.

The impressive footfall figures have delighted managers at The Cleveland Centre, which re-branded from its former name The Mall a year ago after being sold to real estate fund manager F&C REIT.

Debbie Anderson, manager of The Cleveland Centre, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the latest footfall figures which show that more and more people are visiting The Cleveland Centre because they like the shops and what we have to offer.

“When we re-branded last year, we put a big effort into marketing the Centre, focusing on the fantastic range of stores as well as the exciting events programme we put on for shoppers. We have had everything from magicians and jugglers, up-and-coming bands and even the Disney characters. One of the most successful promotions rewarded our customers for simply using a Cleveland Centre Bag for Life - hundreds of customers were surprised when our mystery shopper stepped up to the cash desk to pay for their goods.

“That variety has proved a winning formula as we’re seeing more people through the Centre and I’m very confident that will continue in the run up to Christmas, when we have even more events and activities planned and new national stores opening.”

The footfall figures, which were compiled for The Cleveland Centre by retail intelligence agency Shopper Track, show that visitor numbers increased week on week for 20 consecutive weeks between January and October 2012. Average monthly footfall is up by 4.2% from 768,562 last year to 800,879 this year.

The encouraging findings support claims from national retailers that consumer confidence in retail spending is beginning to return.Figures released by Ipsos Retail Performance earlier in October revealed that the number of shoppers in non-food stores increased by 1.2% in September, marking the first month in which retail footfall has risen.

In the report, Dr Tim Denison, Director of Retail Intelligence at Ipsos Retail Performance, said: “We have been seeing footfall gradually returning to the shops as the year has worn on.“The gap on last year has been steadily closing, and now, for the first time this year, we have recorded a month of growth.”

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