Why Llandudno's lockdown bounce back was faster than anywhere else in the UK
Work and Economy Correspondent Carole Green finds out why business is booming in Llandudno
The UK high street that has bounced back the fastest after lockdown is Llandudno, a new report reveals.
Card transaction data was analysed by card payments specialist takepayments Limited to find the town centres that are bouncing back and those that are struggling following the easing of lockdown restrictions.
And the popular seaside resort came out on top, with transactions rising by almost a half.
Edward Hiller, managing director of Mostyn Estates, which holds the freehold of the majority of the commercial town centre, told ITV Wales: "I'm really encouraged by the way business has opened out, particularly since the town centre's been able to open up.
"I'm really encouraged by the positivity by our local and national operators who've really just jumped to it."
Brenda and Heather, who run the Habit Tea Rooms on Mostyn Street, says the current season has been "compact but busy".
Manager Brenda Roberts said: "The town is faring very well. It's busier than ever. I think the town has really picked up this year because people are holidaying in this country now.
"I think it's the older generation that are using cards more than they ever did before and that's probably why the figures are higher.
"We're getting coach trips of older people and they are now paying by card where they wouldn't have before."
Normally, the town would see business start to dwindle come September, but the last fortnight has been "busier than ever" but not without its challenges, according to co-owner Heather Cheetham.
"Particularly with staff - we managed to furlough all our staff so we had all of our good basic staff here but normally in the summer we'd pick up students and there were just no students around to pick up", she said.
Takepayments Limited looked at data from the week of the final easing of lockdown restrictions in England (July 19 2021).
Although Wales didn't have the same 'freedom day' as in England, spending in Welsh resort Llandudno saw a 46% increase in card transactions compared to the same period pre-pandemic (2019).
Wales overall is also bouncing back more strongly than any other nation or region as well according to the figures.
While many Brits are opting for a summer holiday in the UK this year, the staycation boom is helping popular holiday destination high streets grow following on from what has been one of the most difficult times for retail.
The report said: "Staycations are booming and the North Wales resort of Llandudno has benefited more than anywhere else, with a 46% uptick in transactions compared to the same period in 2019.
"The surge in sales for Llandudno is part of a wider trend across the country, with data for transactions over £20 showing a much higher increase in Wales as a whole compared to other UK regions."