Dee Corsi
Chief Executive
We are nearly a month into 2023, and optimism remains high across the West End as we look to build on a successful Christmas trading period that saw strong numbers of shoppers across the district.
January update from New West End Company
Despite concerns that our visitors would visit our district less in the face of the ongoing cost of living crisis, we saw steady growth in footfall throughout November and December, as shoppers braved the colder weather to enjoy the wonderful festive experiences in the West End.
High numbers of eager visitors enjoying their restriction-free Christmas shopping rounded off what was a strong year of recovery for the West End – one that saw a consistent increase in visitor numbers, both domestically and from overseas, across our streets. The resilience of our district has been evident over the last 12 months, but it is our fundamental belief that 2023 will see us not only continue our recovery, but move into an era of growth.
We've already had a busy start to the year across the district, with a colourful takeover on Bond Street with Yayoi Kusama to mark the celebrated artist's second collaboration with Louis Vuitton, while yesterday saw an informative webinar discussing energy usage in the West End, in partnership with Big Clean Switch, Bioregional and GPE. As we continue to implement our Road to Zero Sustainability Action Plan, it is vital that we collaborate to manage rising energy costs while remaining on track to hit our collective sustainability targets.
Now is the time for us to come together as a community, meet economic challenges head on and deliver a West End that meets the demands of our visitors and businesses alike.
With the King's Coronation in May fast approaching, we have the opportunity to welcome even more international visitors to our streets – an opportunity that we are well set to grasp with both hands.
We remain entirely committed to providing you, our members, with the best possible environment to thrive and grow, and I know I speak on behalf of the entire team when I say that we are looking forward to another productive and exciting 12 months of working together.
'CREATING INFINITY' ON BOND STREET
January has seen a colourful takeover on Bond Street with Yayoi Kusama, marking the global launch of the world-renowned artist's second collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
Ten years after the first collaboration, 'Creating Infinity' has seen the street transformed with flags, unique sculptures and innovative façade dressing as the Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama Collection was launched.
ENERGY BUSINESS BRIEFING WEBINAR
Earlier in the month we hosted a special webinar looking at ways of improving building and business energy efficiency.
We were joined by a panel of expert speakers including Jon Fletcher, Founder & CEO of Big Clean Switch, James Sheldon, Carbon and Energy specialist at Bioregional and Kathryn Barber, Sustainability Lead - Portfolio and Social Impact at GPE.
Click below to watch the full webinar.
MAYFAIR TIMES COMMUNITY AWARDS
We were delighted to once again sponsor the Hospitality Hero Award at the annual Mayfair Times Community Awards, celebrating those who are pivotal to the ongoing success of the West End.
This year's deserving winner was Don Scott-Horne, Doorman at Scott's – a true professional and highly valued member of our renowned hospitality community.
INSIGHTS RETAIL BREAKFAST BRIEFING
Join us on the 8th of February for our annual Insights Retail Breakfast Briefing at Regent Street Cinema. In partnership with PwC, we will provide a detailed analysis of the recent Christmas trading period, before looking ahead to forward trends, consumer outlook and spending priorities for the upcoming year.
