Studies have been undertaken on the area to assess the footfall levels in the Bigg Market at different times of the day in comparison to Northumberland Street. The findings are as follows:
Graph A: Hourly footfall data of the Bigg Market 2014
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(Source: NE1, 2014)
Currently, there is a particular disparity between the footfall in the area at day and night-time hours. The Graph A above shows the footfall data collected from CCTV outside TJ Hughes every hour over the course of 2014. The graph highlights that the footfall in the area hits its peak at around 10.30pm on a Saturday evening with 55,000 people utilising the space throughout the year. This information correlates with data collected throughout our research project, showing that the Bigg Market has a strong drinking culture related to it, feeding into the evening and night time economy.
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Graph B: Monthly footfall data of Northumberland Street in 2014
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(Source: NE1, 2014)
Graph C: Monthly footfall data of the Bigg Market in 2014
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(Source: NE1, 2014)
When comparing the footfall of the Bigg Market in Graph C to the popular retail destination Northumberland Street in Graph B, clear trends emerge. The first being that in the Bigg Market footfall is at its peak on Saturdays, achieving considerably more visits than any other day of the week, especially during March & April. This is most likely in direct correlation with the strong drinking culture the area retains. Championship football is a big draw for the area, with Newcastle United's fixtures tending to fall on a Saturday, the Bigg Market thrives from this, catering to fan's pre and post match drinking.
It is also apparent that the Bigg Market's footfall drops significantly in the winter months, unlike the rest of the city, showing a strong seasonal disparity. Many businesses owners have stated that they rely on the majority of trade throughout the summer months to keep them afloat throughout the rest of the year. Though local businesses are in strong support of the regeneration proposals, due to the economy of cafes and restaurants being seasonal, there is worry that construction for the regeneration project looking to start in March will have an impact on their business.
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Falling footfall
