Shoppers hand Rotherham traders a Christmas bonus

SHOPPERS splashed their cash in Rotherham over  Christmas, driving sales figures well above takings in previous years.

Rotherham Borough Council recorded around 121,000 visitors to the town’s market in the week up to Christmas—an increase of 27 percent on the same period last year and the highest attendance since 2008.

Business development manager Tim O’Connell put the increase down to a combination of free weekend parking and an absence of snow, which put shoppers off in 2010.

He added: “We’ve filled a few vacancies in the town centre, so there’s more activity and life.

“People don’t like to come when most of the shops aren’t open but better weather and more shops give them a reason to give the town centre another chance.”

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Kara Chapman, co-owner of the Whistle Stop Sweet Shop, said: “Our takings are 30 per cent up on last year and that has continued since Christmas as well.

“I don’t know if free parking is the be all and end all—people pay to park in every town centre.

“But activities over Christmas brought a significant increase in footfall. The lights switch-on was massive, so we were really pleased.”

She added: “If the council keep doing what they’re doing and people keep working to promote what we’ve got, it should carry on working for us.”

Parkgate Shopping also saw a modest rise in shoppers, with a seven percent increase on 2010 during the week beginning on Boxing Day.

Meadowhall also reported a record-breaking sales season, with staff having to open overflow car parks by 10am on Boxing Day to cope with huge numbers of post-Christmas bargain hunters.

All 280 retailers opened their doors, attracting around 150,000 people in just one day—an increase of two-thirds on last year.

Store director Darren Pearce put the blockbuster footfall down to a selection of new stores and the refurbishment of the centre’s Oasis Dining Quarter.

Elsewhere, Rotherham nightclub bosses reported a festive boom.

Richard Taylor, general manager of Liquid and Envy, said: “Mad Friday—the Friday a week before Christmas—was very good, and New Year’s Eve was great—we were about 40 per cent up on the year before.

“I think the pricing was sensible. Our whole marketing campaign was to get rid of the image that it’s too expensive to go out fo New Year."