// West End footfall suffers as the Omicron variant continues to spread across the UK
// Retail experts & bosses are calling on extra support from the government during this time
Footfall figures in the West End plummeted by 27 per cent yesterday (Tuesday 21 December 2021) compared with 2019 and by 10 per cent on the previous week.
New West End Company chief executive Jace Tyrrell said:“ Once again we are seeing fewer customers on the high street than there were two years ago. Retail and leisure businesses will have spent significant amounts of time and money preparing for a busy Christmas period, only for people to understandably stay at home in the face of rising Covid rates.
“It is therefore vital that they receive the financial support required to get them through the winter months – support that must go further than the limited package announced by the Treasury yesterday.
READ MORE:
- Omicron sees retail suffer on last weekend before Christmas
- Retail footfall drops as Omicron cases surge in UK
- CBI research confirms retail’s Omicron fears
“We must see tangible relief for the retail industry, alongside more substantial measures for leisure businesses. Otherwise we run the risk of more much-loved brands being forced to close in the coming months.”
Westminster City Council leader Cllr Rachael Robathan said: “The latest trading figures show just how tough the trading picture is on the streets. While we all need to abide by the health advice, the effects of work from home and what amounts to an unofficial lockdown are clearly keeping many people at home.
“Many of our shops and restaurants face an uncertain Christmas and a precarious New Year with city centres taking a huge hit. That’s why I have written to the Chancellor urging him to consider more flexible grants and continued business rate relief to help revive the economy of central London.”
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