Christmas shopping in Exeter is in full swing, if footfall figures at the Guildhall Shopping Centre are anything to go by.
Centre bosses have reported that in the week it launched its popular festive activities, the Guildhall outperformed national data for footfall in shopping centres around the UK by more than 10.5 per cent.
Last week saw the centre begin a month of Christmas activities aimed at the wider family. Festivities kicked off with a Christmas light switch-on by X Factor contestant Shelley Smith, the ever popular Street Food Market and a visit by Santa and his reindeer.
More than a quarter of a million people visited the Guildhall Shopping Centre during this first week of Christmas trading, 12.7 per cent up on the same time last year and 10.6 per cent ahead of the national benchmark.
Around 20,000 visited between 5pm and 9pm on the Thursday when the centre's Christmas lights switch-on event took place – which when added to the rest of that day's 30,000 customers gives a figure comparable with a busy Saturday.
The good start to the Christmas season bodes well for the Guildhall Shopping Centre. Its popular Street Food Market runs daily from Monday, December 2, to Monday, December 23, and will tie up with the Exeter Innovations Market, selling unique Christmas gifts. Still to come in the centre's festive line up are Hug a Husky on Saturday and Sunday, December 7 and 8, choirs and entertainment throughout December and a visit from the BBC Radio Devon lunchtime programme on Friday, December 20.
There is also the opportunity to win a new iPad via a photo competition on the centre's Facebook page.
Centre manager Andrew McNeilly said: "We were delighted by our most recent footfall figures, which showed that people had voted with their feet and visited us for their festive shopping and entertainment. Each year we aim to bring a friendly, family spirit of Christmas to Exeter city centre and it is pleasing to see that our efforts are appreciated and enjoyed by so many visitors of all ages."
