Through its High Street Counting service, which provides continuous electronic pedestrian counting and online reporting, Springboard has established the success of the 2003 Xmas trading period for high streets and towns centres across the country.

Across high streets nationally*, the 2003 Xmas trading period began in the week beginning 10th November, although it did not take off in earnest until late November (the first significant increase was not evident until the week beginning 24th November).

There were differences between the South-East and elsewhere in the country in terms of the pattern of pedestrian traffic in high streets during this key trading period. In the South-East, Xmas trading started later with no weekly increases in pedestrian traffic being evident until the week beginning 24th November, however, after this date it saw a much higher average weekly increase than elsewhere (13% compared with 4% elsewhere).

Unsurprisingly, pedestrian traffic in high streets and town centres continued to rise steadily into Xmas week, peaking in all towns on either Saturday 20th December or Tuesday 23rd December. However, by Xmas Eve, in all towns flows had either levelled out or started to decline.

Over the month to the end of December 2003, pedestrian activity across all high streets increased by an average of 11%. This helped to offset the average decline of 9% that occurred in high streets between October and November 2003, and exceeded the average monthly increase for 2003 of 6%.

*Excludes shopping centres