Town reports rise in Christmas visitors

A town retail group has reported its busiest Christmas since the Covid pandemic, but said spending on debit cards fell, compared to the previous year.

Shrewsbury BID said footfall in the town centre in December 2025 was up by 15.2% compared to the previous year, but revenue per customer was down by 3.3%.

It said there were signs of more cautious spending and with rising costs for businesses, profit margins for traders were under pressure.

The group, which represents businesses in the town, urged people to support local businesses.

The data was collected by a company which analyses debit card transactions and it said a total of £14.9m was spent in the town in December.

The BID group noted this did not include credit card or cash transactions, so it was not a complete picture of spending.

But it said the increase in footfall was above the national average, and along with business feedback, it highlighted "the town's growing strength as a regional destination".

Footfall was measured by cameras in the town centre and the BID group said the 15.2% increase on the previous December was well ahead of the 2% seen nationally.

It said 262,937 visits to the town centre counted by footfall cameras on High Street and Pride Hill.

The group also spoke to its members in the town centre, who reported people visiting Shrewsbury and "making a weekend of it" over Christmas.

It said Stacey Hill, owner of fashion retailers Oberon, said, "They definitely had a budget to stick to and weren't blowing the bank this year, but they were enjoying the festive atmosphere and the mix of more unique gifts that Shrewsbury offers thanks to its mix of independent shops."

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