Brighton shopping centre reports upbeat Christmas

Churchill Square Shopping Centre in Brighton said that visitor numbers were significantly higher on key dates over Christmas and the new year.

It said that the number of shoppers in Churchill Square on Christmas Eve was up 7.9 per cent compared with the previous year.

The number of shoppers in Churchill Square on Boxing Day was up 4.8 per cent compared with the previous year.

And there was also a rise in shopping numbers over the first week of January, taken as starting on Monday 31 December, up 11.2 per cent on the previous year.

The shopping centre management said that many retailers had also reported strong sales over Christmas and the new year.

Churchill Square director Tina Dallorzo said: “We are really pleased to announce such a positive start to the year for Churchill Square.

“Shoppers looking for a bargain in the sales and with Christmas gift cards to spend helped to contribute to strong sales for our retailers.”

Chris Ashley, area manager for Levi’s, said: “We have had an excellent Christmas in our Brighton Levi’s store even though the positioning of Christmas day in the week worked against us with the kids breaking up so late.

“We started our sale four days later than last year and still achieved a December increase of 10 per cent against last year’s turnover.”

Lakeland’s store in Churchill Square, which opened last July, is one of the chain’s most successful shop openings in recent years.

Store manager Nikki Harvey said: “We’ve enjoyed a fantastic five months here in Brighton, including our first Christmas, and it’s been wonderful to have received such a warm welcome.”

Sam Ellis, from the Lego Store, said: “We had a fantastic Christmas in our new location inside Churchill Square Shopping Centre that surpassed all expectations.

“The success was clear in the response from our customers about our new home and in terms of our sales. Bring on 2013!”

Concerns remain about the future of HMV, which went into administration on Monday, blaming poor sales even though it is the market leader in its field.