FOOTFALL in Andover town centre dropped over the Christmas period compared to 2022, new figures have shown. 

Andover BID measured the number of visitors to the town centre from December 18 to December 28, noting a reduction of 11.8 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022.

Shelley Coburn, manager of Andover BID said: “We believe two key factors contribute to this reduction, being a combination of poor weather conditions and the growing trend of individuals choosing to shop online.

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“These elements seem to have collectively impacted the footfall in the town centre during the mentioned period. This is disappointing as the town centre has shown an increase in footfall over recent months.”

The data was collected by BID’s Local Intelligence and Metrics programme (LIAM) which aims to gain accurate insights into footfall within the BID area and identify key visitor patterns.

As part of the project, in June a ‘remarkable’ growth in footfall was highlighted with an increase of 16.55 per cent.

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Ms Coburn added: “These figures emphasise the importance of rallying support for the town's businesses.

“In the face of evolving consumer habits and external factors such as weather, it becomes crucial for the community to come together to keep Andover vibrant and economically sustainable.

"These challenges are not unique to Andover, and many town centres are grappling with similar issues.”