Winter spending up in central Christchurch

Thursday, 26 September 2019

Efforts are being made to get more shops - and shoppers - back into central Christchurch. (Video first published August 24, 2019)

More people were in central Christchurch spending more dollars this winter than last, as the number of businesses and attractions in the city rises.

However winter in the city remains a difficult time for shops and hospitality outlets as the post-earthquake rebuild continues.

Credit card data from consumer analyst Marketview for June, July and August show overall spending increased $2.6 million to $30m, a 9.6 per cent increase from last winter.

A July day at the corner of Colombo and Cashel streets.

Spending on hospitality rose $1.1m to $10.2m, a 12.3 per cent rise, while spending on clothing rose 11.6 per cent to $5.8m.

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Pedestrian figures gathered by the city council over June, July and August show there were considerably more people near The Terrace on Oxford Tce, and slightly more on Cashel St shopping area and in Cathedral Square.

An average of 1388 people were counted hourly by The Terrace hospitality area, almost double last year's tally of 724.

About 1100 an hour were counted in Cathedral Square, and almost 1400 on Cashel St, between 1 per cent and 2 per cent more than winter 2018.

An artist's impression of the new Spark building, which will hold 500 workers.

The figures cover the period of ChristchurchNZ's Baby Come Back campaign aimed at attracting locals and visitors into the central city over winter.

Pedestrian counts show there are more people in central Christchurch.

The campaign, costing $60,000 including a fee for licensing the 1970s Player single Baby Come Back, included advertising and business promotions such as specials and giveaways.

ChristchurchNZ described the campaign as aiming to bring our locals back into town during winter, change perceptions of the city centre, and 'make residents our city's most ardent ambassadors'.

ChristchurchNZ chief executive Joanna Norris said this week that Christchurch residents need to back their city and become advocates for it.

'We have rebuilt infrastructure the envy of cities struggling with creaking tired facilities,' she said.

Central Christchurch Business Association (CCB) chairman Brendan Chase said the trend was going in the right direction 'but we still have some way to go'.

'It was a better winter than last winter, and it seems people are coming back in from all points of the compass.

The central city had benefited from the Town Hall reopening, while next week's opening of the Riverside Market, the upcoming opening of Ballantynes' extension, and the summer completion of the Spark office building would also provide major boosts, he said.

CCBA is planning to join forces with ChristchurchNZ to come up with marketing initiatives for the central city.