Newport business health check shows footfall on the rise
Footfall in a town's High Street has increased by up to 26 per cent and the number of vacant shops has reduced over the past year, according to a new survey.
The Newport Town Centre Health-Check 2017 reports the town to be in relatively good health with some positive indicators for the future. The latest health-check follows those carried out in 2013 and 2014.
Newport Town Team, the voluntary organisation behind the survey, said despite 10 years of austerity the number of businesses in the town centre claiming their turnover had increased or stayed the same in the past year rose by just over 10 per cent.
Survey results show the average spend per visitor appears to be rising since the survey started in 2013 but also highlights some areas of concern where continued support is needed to make sure businesses and the town centre can continue to thrive.
Nigel West, chairman of Newport Town Team and managing director of Fiveways Insurance Group based in the High Street, said: “By and large it was a positive health-check survey with some encouraging aspects.
“As a town centre business owner myself, I am only too aware of the challenges of being a high street business. The Town Team exists to help and support town centre businesses to continue being successful, maintaining Newport as a thriving town commercially and a great place to visit.
“The increase in footfall is a particularly pleasing aspect coming out of the report, which suggests a positive factor is the new housing developments in Newport.
“Town centre traders naturally want more customers on their doorsteps and the increase in housing does seem to have resulted in more people shopping in Newport, which is great to see, but it is of course important than any future building is carried out with due regard to need, location and the environment.”
According to the report, footfall on a busy market day is reported to be up by 26.6 per cent and 12.4 per cent on a non-market day.
More than 520 shoppers were counted on a market day during peak morning hours, a jump from 423 in 2014.
The report said: “Newport town centre appears to be in relatively good health with some positive indicators for the future. However, there are also some indications that life for small businesses is more fragile than is outwardly evident and these need support if they are to continue to contribute to the uniqueness, character and attraction of our town centre.”
The number of empty commercial premises was down from six to four during the past year, and the town centre continues to employ well over 1,000 people.
While turnover figures are reported to be generally good the report says traders are more cautious about predicting figures for the coming year - a knock-on effect from uncertainty over Brexit.
The survey says shopper views on positive and negative aspects of the town centre have not changed much since the last report three years ago but that, encouragingly, 94.4 per cent of shoppers would recommend Newport to others.
