Free activities and no traffic tempted shoppers into Central London last weekend as Seven Dials and St Martin‘s Courtyard saw footfall rise 30 per cent.
Themed around festivals, more than 130 retailers, cafés and restaurants were involved which included a quirky pop-up lawn with deck chairs laid around the famous Seven Dials monument.
The festival included a series of retail offers and live music which also saw a range of in-store entertainment, while shoppers were handed out free Pimms on the lawn around the dial.
Clare Harris, head of marketing communications at Shaftesbury said: “Feedback from our retailers, restaurants, bars and cafés indicates the event was very effective in driving additional sales, which was a key objective from the outset… this year we successfully created something completely different that set us apart from other destinations in London.”
Beauty and grooming brands such as Shu Uemura also hosted free festival makeovers for shoppers.
Participating brands included Franklin & Marshall, which recently made its UK debut in Seven Dials and Diesel, Orla Kiel, Cath Kidston, Birkenstock, Banana Republic and Jack Wills.
The festival highlights the importance of bringing new energy onto the high-street and so increasing overall footfall.
