For many retail and leisure destinations, Christmas represents the most important trading window of the year. Footfall peaks, dwell time increases and consumers arrive ready to spend. For owners and asset managers, strong performance often reinforces tenant confidence, supports leasing conversations and adds to the wider value narrative of an asset.
The hidden window that determines Christmas performance
But the destinations that deliver the strongest festive results are the ones that start planning in spring. Too often Christmas is treated as a seasonal campaign – decorations, events and a burst of marketing activity in the final few weeks of the year. In reality, the destinations that consistently outperform treat Christmas as a strategic commercial opportunity that requires early planning, clear objectives and an integrated marketing approach. Because by the time the lights switch on, the real work should already be done.
Christmas is a strategic commercial moment
A successful festive programme starts with a simple question – what role should Christmas play in the wider asset strategy? For some destinations the priority is driving peak footfall. For others it’s increasing dwell time, supporting evening economy, or strengthening the destination’s position within its catchment. When marketing strategy is aligned with leasing and asset objectives, Christmas becomes a platform to drive measurable commercial performance.
At Dalton Park, for example, the festive campaign positioned the outlet as the region’s destination for gifting and value-led Christmas shopping. The result was sales growth of more than 6% year-on-year during the campaign period, significantly outperforming national retail trends.
At The Boulevard in Banbridge, the Christmas strategy focused on amplifying the centre’s value proposition and creating strong awareness of its brand mix and offers. That integrated campaign delivered double-digit sales growth across the festive trading period, alongside record-breaking trading weeks.
These results are rarely the product of last-minute marketing activity. They are the outcome of clear strategic planning and coordinated campaigns that build anticipation over several months.
Experience drives performance
Consumers don’t choose where to spend Christmas based on convenience alone.
They choose destinations that deliver an experience. Atmosphere, events and seasonal moments transform routine shopping trips into festive days out. When those experiences are supported by strategic marketing, destinations can significantly increase repeat visits, dwell time and spend.
At Eldon Square in Newcastle, the “Christmas Central” campaign positioned the centre as the city’s festive gathering place — combining retail, leisure and events to create a compelling destination experience. The campaign delivered footfall growth of more than 6% year-on-year, outperforming wider market trends.
Similarly, Harlequin in Watford’s “Here For All Of It” Christmas campaign focused on creating inclusive festive experiences, from family activations to community-led events. The strategy helped drive more than 3% growth in festive footfall, despite national footfall decline during the same period.
In each case, Christmas was planned as a destination-wide experience designed to drive engagement, visits and spend.
Marketing must start earlier
While decorations and events create atmosphere on-site, the destinations that outperform understand that marketing must start much earlier. Building awareness, creating anticipation and engaging audiences across digital, social, PR and media channels in the months leading up to Christmas ensures destinations capture consumer attention before shopping habits are formed. This way, Christmas becomes a sustained period of engagement driving stronger performance for both retailers and the asset itself.
At BWP, we work with destinations across the UK and Ireland to develop Christmas strategies that combine creative thinking with clear commercial objectives, helping assets maximise their performance during the most important trading period of the year.
