BBC
Thousands of people visited Bath and Bristol Christmas markets in the month leading up to Christmas
Christmas markets attracted tourists and locals to town centers and high streets by the end of 2024, according to the latest figures.
Retail analysts MRI found shoppers were “making the most of the festive events”, leading to a 50% increase in the number of shoppers in market towns compared to Christmas Eve 2023.
“People want to have a good day and get their presents,” said Susannah Streeter, retail expert at Hargreaves Lansdown.
Bristol shopkeeper Michelle Kingscott added: “There was a great atmosphere, there were lots of tourists and locals, the store was busy.”
Ms Kingscott, who runs an independent card and gift shop, said the town center was full every day.
But it was the large German-style market that attracted the crowds, despite many local critics who derided the cheesy music and “overpriced bratwurst” on social media.
People come from all over the world to shop in Bristol, said Ms Kingscott, who runs an independent card store in the city.
Across the country, German Christmas markets have proliferated, with wooden chalet-style trading units, mulled wine, sausages and twinkling lights.
In the center of Bristol, the market now attracts people from all over England and beyond.
Ms Kingscott said the town center was “very busy” and people came from all over the world to buy locally produced artwork and comic cards from her.
“We’ve had people from Poland, Germany, America – they love Bristolian humor,” she added.
“Christmas was crazy,” said Marcus Kent, who runs a board game store in Bristol.
“Christmas was just crazy here,” said another shopkeeper, Marcus Kent.
He runs Excelsior Comics in Bristol, a store specializing in selling comics and board games, which he says has hit a sweet spot.
“Board games really took off after Covid, and people were suddenly isolated from their friends,” he said.
“People really enjoy the social aspect of a physical game, something you have to share space with your friends to enjoy.”
Broadmead, Bristol
Researchers found that “footfall” increased by 50% in towns with Christmas markets.
Between Christmas and New Year, city centers attracted more people than shopping centers outside cities, the study found.
Footfall on the High Street increased by 20% on December 27, 2024 compared to a year earlier, but retail parks saw less growth, of just 14%.
But one shopping center bucked the trend by hosting a number of festive events.
In Street, Somerset, Clarks Village is a designer shopping center built where the famous shoe factory once stood.
Clarks Village
A record-breaking event featuring skating Santas drew crowds to Clarks Village in Street, Somerset
To attract customers in cold weather, marketers set a challenge to get a record number of Santas skating on the ice.
They broke the record and, thanks to other milestones, sales in the last quarter of the year were up 6.1% compared to the previous Christmas.
Retail analyst Susannah Streeter said the figures showed shoppers were “returning to pre-pandemic habits”.
More people want to try on clothes and shoes before buying them, she said.
“But above all, people want to have a good time. That’s why we see Christmas markets becoming a growing trend, as people want to eat, drink and socialize, as well as shop,” she added .
