Liverpool ONE has its second busiest week of the year with restaurant numbers up

030920 Liverpool One Liverpool City Council
Credit: Liverpool City Council

The number of people visiting restaurants in Liverpool ONE shopping centre in August was up almost a third compared to the same period last year, new figures show.

Data from Liverpool BID Company, which represents the interests of 1,500 levy paying businesses in the city centre, shows that from Wednesday 26 August, there were a total of 180,154 people in the city centre, compared to 182,145 on Wednesday 11 March - just before shops and restaurants were ordered to shut.

In July, Liverpool ONE saw an 85 per cent rise in visitor numbers to eateries, while across the city centre there was a 27 per cent rise in overall footfall compared to the previous month, hitting pre-lockdown levels.  

Towards the end of August, the shopping centre reported a footftall growth of three per cent compared to last year, with the final week of the month proving to be the second busiest week of the year so far.

The data shows the biggest was on Mondays - one of the eligble days where people were able to receive 50% off food, with a maximum discount of £10 per person, when eating in a participating restaurant, cafe or pub as part of the Governmnet's Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

Businesses on Castle Street make the most of Liverpool Without Walls scheme Credit: Liverpool City Council

Liverpool City Council says the city's Without Walls Scheme, a £450,00 project designed to help provide support to help cafes and restaurants trade outside, also created a footfall across the city.

It has seen Bold Street closed to traffic across the summer and attractive wooden parklets installed along the road, transforming the area.

Part of Castle Street has also been temporarily closed to traffic, enabling venues to spill out on to the streets.

Altogether it has created 2,700 extra covers for drinking and dining in the city centre.

Despite the improvement for restaurants, the council say footfall across the city centre is down around a third compared to August last year, which they say is largely due to a lack of international tourists and fewer office workers.

Donna Howitt, Marketing and Communications Director at Liverpool ONE, said: “Confidence is returning to the city centre and we are delighted with the growth in visitor numbers, which is ahead of that in other areas of the country.

“We are looking forward to students returning to the city in September which will help to support recovery post a strong August.”