When destinations are clearly positioned, consistently activated and genuinely connected to their audience, people show up. And when people show up, commercial performance follows.
147 million visits. £128 million in additional sales. Here’s what 2025 tells us.
24 Feb 2026
In 2025, ‘people showing up’ translated into 147 million visits across the BWP portfolio – more than 403k people every day choosing to spend time in the places we help shape.
The impact was commercial as well as visible. Sales increased by +5% versus 2024 – an additional £128 million across our shopping centre portfolio. Footfall rose by +0.5%, delivering 670,000 more visits year-on-year. Excluding one asset currently undergoing repositioning, that growth reached +1.1%, representing 1.4 million additional visits.
These results sit against a national backdrop of -1.2% year-on-year decline in UK shopping centre footfall¹.
Several flagship full-price destinations including Braehead Shopping Centre, Harlequin Shopping Centre and Trafford Centre recorded their strongest footfall performance since tracking began in 2020, the impact of long-term positioning and sustained activation building familiarity, trust and habit.
At Trafford Centre, that strategy extends beyond campaigns. The marketing database now exceeds 300,000 subscribers – equivalent to 5% of Greater Manchester’s population. This depth of first-party data strengthens direct relationships with customers and supports commercially focused activations throughout the year.
Across outlet destinations, the same focus on clarity and consistency is delivering results. Dalton Park closed 2025 at 100% occupancy, with sales up +6.1% year-on-year and +31% higher than 2022 levels.
In Northern Ireland, The Boulevard recorded double-digit growth across both sales (+11.5%) and footfall (+12.3%) year-on-year. Sales density increased by +6%, with December trading exceeding management forecasts for both sales (+5%) and footfall (+17%).
Across our client base, 757,000 people visited on Saturday 29 November alone – a single day that reflects the scale at which these destinations now operate. Footfall at this level is the result of long-term focus and aligning brand, offer and audience over time. Strong footfall supports occupier confidence, while sustained sales performance underpins income resilience.
These results are not accidental. As the sector evolves, 2025 has shown that when destinations stay connected to the people around them, growth follows.
