This year, UK sports fans have enjoyed a range of international events such as the World Cup, Wimbledon and the Tour de France; the latter of which has enjoyed a hugely successful opening weekend in Yorkshire. Yet as well as proving enjoyable for cycling fans the opening stage of the Tour de France has given retailers in the region an opportunity benefit from the event.
An estimated 3 million visitors descended on Yorkshire over the past weekend, with most keen to spot a glimpse of the Tour’s cyclists racing by. However, judging by footfall levels at the £400 million Trinity Leeds, many also chose to visit Yorkshire simply to enjoy a spell of shopping and entertainment with the centre’s “Mechanical Theatre” countdown clock and themed pop-up shop going down very well with consumers.
On Saturday the 5th of July, the day of The Grand Départ, footfall levels at Trinity Leeds reached 96,633 – an increase of 25 per cent on the previous Saturday. Centre operators believe that this was due to the plethora of cycling themed events taking place in the centre that day, with the temporary pop-up shop drawing large crowds benefiting retailers in surrounding units.
The pop-up shop was opened to the public during the week leading up to The Grand Départ, with the eye catching yellow exterior and window displays showcasing yellow and blue cycling jerseys tying in perfectly with the race’s colour scheme. Inside, the wall displays showcased images of dry stone walls and picturesque moor scenes – the views enjoyed by millions of cycling fans across the world over the weekend.
Elsewhere in the centre, a countdown clock marked the minutes and seconds until the official start of the race, causing excitement levels to soar amongst consumers.
Trinity Leeds, then, has shown a remarkable level of skill in utilising a major event to attract and engage with consumers. And although Land Securities’ award winning shopping centre enjoys strong levels of footfall all year round, the boom in footfall seen on Saturday demonstrates the success retailers can have by capitalising on events of this type; something other shopping centres nationwide may wish to bear in mind for future events.
