Cardiff has climbed into the top six of the UK’s best performing retail locations.
The latest report by Experian, who provide an in-depth analysis of the UK’s retail centres, shows that Cardiff has jumped impressively from 10th place to 6th.
The news comes on the back of the last month’s opening of St David’s, which according to Experian could potentially move the Welsh capital into the top five retail destinations by 2014.
The opening of St David’s saw an extra half-a-million people pass through the city centre in the first three days, with millions of people now travelling to the Welsh capital every week. This has seen Cardiff leapfrog Nottingham, Leeds, Edinburgh and Bluewater in Kent, putting it firmly on the map as one of the major retail players in the UK.
Extended shopping hours, new park and ride facilities as well as the new Freeb bus offering people a free option to travel around the city centre have all contributed to help make Cardiff a special retail destinaton.
Cardiff Council leader Rodney Berman said: “I have been confidently predicting that on the back of St David’s, Cardiff would move up into the top 10 retail locations and now these figures show that we’ve clearly achieved that. When you look at the cities around us in the league table it is a clear indication of just how far Cardiff has come and underlines our status as a true European capital.
“When you add to St David’s and John Lewis, the popularity of Queen Street and the city centre’s Victorian arcades you have a unique retail destination and I’m proud that Cardiff is now getting the credit it deserves.”
Executive member for Economic Development, Councillor Neil McEvoy, added: “These latest figures show the economic impact of retail tourism on the city which is a huge boost for Cardifff in the current financial climate. When you look at the mix Cardiff now offers in terms of culture, retail, leisure and sport, coupled with its accessibility and compactness, Cardiff is a city that people clearly want to come and visit.”
