Christmas shopper numbers in central London have tumbled by more than a quarter against pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest figures.<\/p>\n
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The West End saw footfall decline on Tuesday by 27% compared with the same day in 2019,<\/strong> the New West End Company said.<\/p>\n The figures were nonetheless 10% higher than the Tuesday of the previous week.<\/p>\n However, it showed the typical pre-Christmas rush to buy presents is significantly depressed against pre-pandemic levels as many people choose to remain at home amid soaring coronavirus numbers.<\/p>\n New West End Company CEO Jace Tyrrell, said on Wednesday:\u00a0\u201cOnce again we are seeing fewer customers on the high street than there were two years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cRetail and leisure businesses will have spent significant amounts of time and money preparing for a busy Christmas period,<\/strong> only for people to understandably stay at home in the face of rising Covid rates.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is therefore vital that they receive the financial support required to get them through the winter months \u2013 support that must go further than the limited package announced by the Treasury yesterday.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe must see tangible relief for the retail industry, alongside more substantial measures for leisure businesses.<\/p>\n