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Jersey is celebrating the success of strong efforts to revitalise the local high street amid strong concerns over plummeting trade from UK retailers.
St Helier this week announced strong signs of retail prosperity following the unveiling of their blueprint for the future of Island retail earlier this year, which included ‘Alive After 5’ - a campaign to get shoppers on the streets outside of working hours – and the increased promotion of food vans in town on ‘Streetfood Thursdays’.
In the final week of April this year, footfall in St Helier was reported as being up 2.8% year on year, with a total of 165,585 visitors to town. In the same period, the UK reported being down 1.3% year on year.
Shop vacancy levels were also found to be lower in Jersey than compared to an average UK town centre.
Pictured: The Pink Panda Van, one of the many street food trucks that appears in town.
Commenting on the news, Town Manager Daphne East told Express:
“The ‘Alive After 5’ initiative has seen a fantastic response from local traders working together for the benefit of the consumer. UK research has proven that consumers want to shop later as its convenient to do so after work and before heading home. Feedback from some retailers has seen sales increase in the last hour of trade.
“Street Food Thursdays has seen a fantastic response from consumers and even caught the attention of the BBC One Show as they filmed in the street food locations in St Helier a few weeks ago. The street food vans have brought additional life and vibrancy to the town centre and increased footfall in particular around lunch time.
“The retail landscape is a difficult arena to trade in however St Helier has an abundance of interest from traders wanting to relocate into the town centre and UK retailers seeking prime locations. Footfall for last week in St Helier was +0.4% Year to date versus UK -0.2% Year to date.”
There's plenty to do in #sthelierafter5 Check out the list of shops open to 6pm or later Monday to Friday #sthelier #jerseyci pic.twitter.com/JSyLK8aa1K
— Alive After 5 (@StHelierAfter5) May 16, 2017
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