The number of people visiting Yate Shopping Centre during the crucial weeks before Christmas was up on the same period in 2012, the centre’s owners have said.
Footfall increased by nearly 6% in November on a year-on-year basis, and by more than 5% in December – figures described as ‘excellent’ by centre owners Dominion Corporate Trustees (DCT).
While national footfall figures across all the UK’s retail centres have not yet been released, total Christmas sales rose by just 0.4% this Christmas, according to the British Retail Consortium. 
The last national footfall figures showed a drop of 2.9% year on year in November.
DCT said 2014 had started on a positive note at Yate with Anytime Fitness opening this week and work due to start shortly on the fit-out of Bottelinos’ new restaurant in North Parade.
Centre manager Andrew Lowrey said: “It’s good to be able to report excellent trading figures for the Christmas period especially as there seems to be a mixed bag of results being reported by national operators and other centres.
“In the year ahead we will be looking to build on this success and already Anytime Fitness has opened its doors for trading in the former nightclub on East Walk. We are hoping to have Bottelinos open by early spring, enhancing the centre’s northern frontage.”
He said 2014 was going to be an important year for the centre as it hoped to make progress on the development of a £12m leisure complex which would include seven restaurant units, a riverside cafe pod and three retail units as well as a six-screen multiplex cinema.
“We anticipate the planning application will go before a planning committee by Easter but it’s important that people who support these proposals ensure their comments are submitted to South Gloucestershire Council as soon as possible,” he said.
“We are talking to several potential new national tenants as a result of last year’s marketing campaigns and the exposure and success Yate Shopping Centre enjoyed and received as a finalist at the British Council of Shopping Centres, Gold Awards 2013.
