Hospitality footfall boosted by ‘Freedom day’

By Lisa Riley

Published: 27 July, 2021

The lifting of all Covid-19 trading restrictions in England on 19 July saw a significant boost in footfall, according to the latest Presence data from Wireless Social, with the UK reaching 80% pre-Covid levels.

Following ‘Freedom day’ the majority of regions across the UK saw a steep increase in footfall versus the previous week (12-18 July), with bars across the nation enjoying the most significant rise (10%) and London bars spearheading the growth (18%).

Despite the late-night trade experiencing the biggest boost, casual dining restaurants also saw a positive impact across the UK (6%), with Edinburgh and Cardiff leading the charge at 16% and 14% respectively.

With the younger age groups historically showing the most confidence following the relaxation of restrictions, the largest increase in footfall came from the over 35-year-olds (8%) followed by the 25-35-year-olds (7%).

“Now that we are seeing consumer confidence levels continue to rise and with the opening up for late night venues, we’re hoping to see footfall not just increase, but start to climb back up to pre-Covid levels,” said Julian Ross, CEO and founder of Wireless Social – a provider of guest Wi-Fi.

“This will not happen immediately with a simple flick of the switch but we are committed to supporting hospitality venues in their recovery,” he added.

“One of the legacies of the pandemic is going to be the commitment to technology and new trading models that have helped businesses survive over the past 16 months, and we’re eager to continue to support our customers in this way as they tackle the weeks and months ahead.”

The Wireless Social Footfall Tracker provides analysis on footfall, including a regional and demographic breakdown.