Media centre

Tuesday 28 Feb 2017

Full steam ahead for autumn and winter retail sales at stations

Region & Route:

National

• Manchester ranks first as Birmingham, Leeds and Edinburgh record a surge in station retail sales between October-December 2016
• King’s Cross, Cannon Street and Paddington stations deliver strongest growth in London
• Rise in sales for 19^th successive quarter caps successful 2016 for station retailers

New statistics released today by Network Rail show that like-for-like retail sales at its managed stations grew by 3.7% between October and December 2016*. Just under £185 million was spent at Network Rail stations over the period, equivalent to almost £1,400 being spent every minute.

The figures suggest a continuation of the growing consumer trend towards station hubs being seen as great places to meet, eat, shop and travel, and this is supported by the greater variety of retail outlets delivered as part of ongoing Network Rail station upgrades.

• Overall sales growth between October and December 2016 was strongest at Manchester Piccadilly (+21.6%), King’s Cross (+15.9%), Cannon St (+9.1%) and Paddington (+6.8%) following a flurry of recent openings.

• Birmingham (+3.8%), Leeds (+3.8%) and Edinburgh (+3.6%) continue to grow above the national average in the final quarter of 2016, reflecting significant investment in Network Rail stations across the country.

• 65.8 million people – or one in three station users – visited a station retailer between October and December.

The positive figures are a reflection of Network Rail’s ongoing investment at stations across Britain in recent years, with significant developments at Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham demonstrating that stations are becoming destinations in their own right.

2016 in review – a strong year for station retail sales

The data rounds off a strong year for station retailers, with total sales reaching almost £743 million from January to December.

Overall, 2016 sales growth was 3.5% across Network Rail’s managed stations in Britain and this was almost six times higher than the British Retail Consortium figures, which recorded a like-for-like increase of 0.6% over the same period**.

David Biggs, Network Rail’s managing director of property, said: “Today’s results show Network Rail’s ongoing investment in its managed stations is delivering an improved experience for passengers around Great Britain, whilst also generating vital funds to reinvest back into the railway. Our commitment to improving the retail offer across our portfolio means that station users have more choice than ever before, from mainstays such as coffee and food-on-the go, right through to high-end fashion and gifting.

“Consumers continue to move towards convenience shopping and stations are becoming an increasingly significant part of this change. Major new openings at London Bridge, expected later this year, are just one part of Network Rail’s efforts to develop multi-purpose station hubs that reflect this trend.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

 

1. Our managed stations

National stations	London stations
Birmingham New Street	Cannon Street
Bristol Temple Meads	Charing Cross
Edinburgh Waverley	Euston
Glasgow Central	King’s Cross
Leeds	London Bridge
Liverpool Lime Street	Liverpool Street
Manchester Piccadilly	Paddington
Reading	St Pancras International (lower level) Retail at St Pancras is managed by HS1
	Victoria
	Waterloo

 

* Based on station sales data recorded between 1 October and 31 December 2016

** This is an illustrative comparison only. The BRC comparison provides a snapshot of the retail industry, we are not comparing like-for-like.