Cardiff outperforms Bristol despite challenging trading environment for city centres

Daniel Bevan - Editor

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Cardiff city centre outperformed both Bristol and other UK benchmark cities in February, with new data suggesting the Welsh capital continues to show resilience in a challenging trading environment for town and city centres.

New data from Beauclair, shared by the city’s Business Improvement District FOR Cardiff, showed overall city centre sales rose by 6.4% year on year in February.

This compares with a 4.0% decline across the UK benchmark and a 6.3% fall in Bristol.

The figures point to a comparatively strong performance for Cardiff at a time when many town and city centres are facing subdued footfall and cautious consumer behaviour.

Sales in the hospitality sector edged up by 0.8% year on year, while both transactions and customer numbers increased by 3.3%.

This suggests that although visitors are continuing to frequent the city’s bars, cafés and restaurants, average spend per head has declined.

Within the sector, food and drink businesses stood out, with sales rising 2.5% year on year in February, running counter to wider national trends and highlighting the importance of Cardiff’s dining offer to its city centre economy.

The sector has also seen continued inward investment, with brands such as Society Café and Solina Pasta among those choosing Cardiff as a location for new openings.

Retail performance was particularly strong, with sales up 9.6% year on year, while independent businesses recorded a 5.5% increase.

“The cold, wet February was clearly a difficult month for many town and city centres across the UK, so these figures are encouraging for Cardiff,” said Carolyn Brownell, Executive Director of FOR Cardiff.

“What they show is not a city centre untouched by wider pressures, but one that is resilient under pressure, and continuing to attract people in to shop, eat, drink and spend time here.”

“It is particularly positive to see Cardiff outperforming nearby Bristol, and the wider UK benchmark, and to see hospitality customer numbers and transactions both increase during what remains a tough period for many businesses,” Brownell added.

“That tells us people are still choosing Cardiff. They may be spending carefully, but they continue to come into the city centre and engage with what it offers.”