Take That fans boost St David's retail sales

St Davids

The centre, which is owned by St David’s Partnership, a joint venture between Land Securities and Capital Shopping Centres, recorded footfall figures of over 236,000 across Tuesday and Wednesday when the concerts took place, increasing footfall for the centre by more than 50% year on year.

Footfall figures for the centre were 38% up on the week prior to this and 78% up on figures taken in 2009 when the band brought its previous tour to the Millennium Stadium.

Steven Madeley, centre director at St David’s, said: “We witnessed a very upbeat, positive atmosphere across the centre on both Tuesday and Wednesday, a momentum which has carried through into the rest of the week. Stores throughout St David’s were incredibly busy, particularly with large groups of female shoppers, many of whom were visiting Cardiff for the first time. The concerts were therefore not only an opportunity to boost immediate sales for retailers but they also served as an opportunity for St David’s to demonstrate the range of retail and dining offerings that it offers visitors to Cardiff.

“This was also a fantastic chance to demonstrate to those visitors who have not come to Cardiff for many years, just how much the city has grown and developed and to share with them the fantastic retail offerings that have emerged.

“Events such as this are incredibly beneficial to businesses across the city because typically concert-goers do not visit solely to attend the music events; they visit to enjoy a stay in one of the city’s hotels, to explore Cardiff’s retail opportunities and to enjoy good food, drinks and entertainment at the same time. The concerts have given Cardiff a great mid-week boost and have served as the perfect opportunity for businesses to engage with new audiences and to sell the city as a wonderful visitor destination with a huge amount to offer.

“In addition, it is events such as these which serve to support the decision to situate the Millennium Stadium in the city centre, with hotels, restaurants, retailers and entertainment venues across the city deriving great benefit, on both a long term and a short term basis, from higher visitor numbers and increased exposure. These large scale events are key to benefiting the city as a whole and to placing Cardiff firmly on the map as a top UK visitor destination.”

The restaurants and eateries across St David’s experienced particularity high visitor numbers across the two days, with diners visiting in their thousands.

Mary Needham, general manager at Jamie’s Italian in St David’s, said: “We experienced an incredibly high number of customers who had travelled from across Wales and further afield. On Tuesday we served almost 1,000 people which is a particularly high number for a week day. The atmosphere in the restaurant and all over the city seemed to be relaxed and upbeat, with diners happy to spend their money to enjoy a good meal before leaving to enjoy the concerts. To experience such a large number and such a great mix of customers, mid-week, is fantastic and we’d love to see more events like this in the city.”