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Sandra Halliday Published
January 24, 2025
There was good news and not so good news this week about the performance of London's West End during the festive period as footfall to the neighbourhood grew but actual spending dipped slightly.
New West End Company data shows that footfall in the West End increased 3% in November and December year on year.
But lower domestic spending “acted as a drag on top-line growth, underlining the importance of attracting international spend”. Overall spend was down 1%.
With Britons continuing to deal with high inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, it's perhaps no surprise that domestic spend declined by 8% year on year across November and December. By comparison, international spend across the period was up 7%. But the absence of VAT-free shopping for international visitors is continuing to dampen the much greater spending potential of those coming from outside the UK. The fact is that visitors are still coming but those who do turn up are spending less than they might, and many simply aren't coming to the UK at all, opting for locations like Paris and Milan instead.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned domestic pressures saw many Britons holding back in November until a notable peak in domestic shopping on Black Friday weekend as they sought out deals across the district.
Despite this late spurt, overall domestic spending in November dropped by 14%. But international spending in November was largely unchanged, seeing just a 1% increase, and footfall as a whole was also in line with 2025 figures.
There were relatively disappointing results UK-wide for December, but the month in the West End was a bit more buoyant, with visitors to the district increasing by 5%, highlighting its enduring appeal at Christmas. However, overall spend increased by just 2%, driven by a 4% fall in domestic spend, which countered international spending growth of 13%.
These dynamics between domestic and international spending reflect predictions from New West End Company in early November. As forecast, domestic spending peaked just prior to Christmas Day on 22 December, as last-minute shoppers made it the busiest day of the entire year. Meanwhile, Boxing Day represented the highest level of international spend for the year, 12% up on 2025.
Dee Corsi, Chief Executive of New West End Company said: “It is clear that the West End has lost none of its appeal as an iconic festive destination. Despite this, spend growth has slowed, with the marked decrease in domestic spending a particular cause for concern. It is not only domestic consumers feeling the squeeze either – in 2025 retail and hospitality businesses must account for a costly end to business rates relief, and the imminent increase to the national living wage.
“Against that backdrop, the Government must capitalise on any opportunity to inject growth into the national economy. International visitors are an undeniable driver of such growth, and it is imperative that they are incentivised to spend in the UK. Reintroducing tax-free shopping offers the unique opportunity to boost spend from existing tourists, and simultaneously create a new visitor economy of 450 million EU residents who could shop tax-free in the UK. for the first time.
“This would have a marked positive impact on the entire tourist ecosystem across the UK, boosting inbound flights to regional airports, and supporting the retail and hospitality sectors nationally.
Crucially, the infrastructure to support this EU visitor economy already exists and it is time we properly leveraged it. We would urge the Government to grab the opportunity with both hands and reinstate tax-free shopping without delay.”