People flooding back to Christchurch CBD as some areas surpass pre-quake numbers

Friday, 20 December 2019

Christchurch's Riverside Market first opened in 2019.

There are now more people in Christchurch's Cashel Mall than pre-quake, bringing much-needed custom to central city shops, restaurants and bars.

The latest foot traffic data shows there are 685 people an hour walking along Cashel Mall – well ahead of the 400 to 500 counted in 2008 – with numbers buoyed by the opening of food and retail emporium Riverside Market.

However, the same data shows the public is still avoiding the near-desolate Cathedral Square, where there is only one-third of the foot traffic recorded in 2008.

More people are making their way to the central city with some spots seeing more visitors than before the Canterbury earthquakes.

The Christchurch City Council is now collecting foot traffic data at eight sites (Cashel High, Cashel Mall, Cathedral Square, Hereford St, the Terrace, Tūranga at Cathedral St and Colombo St, Victoria St and Worcester Blvd) in the central city between 8am and 8pm every day.

These figures can be loosely compared to the last pre-quake study in October 2008, when 73 sites were monitored for an hour in the morning and in the afternoon.

Data released by the Christchurch City Council, shows the number of people on central city streets has increased significantly during the year to October.

The opening of the new food and retail emporium, Riverside Market, in October had a significant impact on boosting foot traffic in the Cashel Mall area.

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River promenade, The Terrace, received the largest influx of people over the last year.

In 2008, 519 pedestrians walked by Curtis Jewellers each hour, while 437 walked by Bivouac, both located in City Mall.

Christchurch people were torn between the malls or the CBD to grab a post-Christmas bargain on Boxing Day 2018.

The average hourly pedestrian count for the Cashel Mall area during October 2018 was 461. The pre-quake number was surpassed in October this year when an average of 685 pedestrians were recorded.

Christchurch's $140 million river promenade, The Terrace, which opened in 2018, received the largest influx of people over the last year. About 265 people walked along the riverside block each hour on average in 2017, but the number jumped 181 per cent (to 745) the following year. This was also slightly more than the 2008 count of 738.

Central City Business Association manager Paul Londsdale said foot traffic is 'significantly higher than this time last year' and returning to pre-quake levels.

He expected trading in the CBD would be strong over the coming days, as it was now a 'viable and attractive alternative' to the suburban malls and shopping centres, which 'tend to be less convenient at this time of the year'.

Spending in the central city increased to $397 million this year, an 9.3 per cent increase on last year.

The Crossing, in Cashel St, experienced its busiest days of the year on Black Friday (November 29) and December 13.

Retailers in the city centre shopping complex said there had been a further increase in shoppers this week.

New developments such as Tūranga have brought more people into the central city.

Rebecca McMillan – the owner of The Gift Shop, which sells accessories, homewares and children's toys – said sales have increased throughout the week.

'It feels like it has started to get busier in the last few days. People have definitely left it later this year.'

During the 2008 survey, 1490 pedestrians were recorded in the Cathedral Square - that number had dropped to 565 in 2019.

Bianca Astle, owner of fashion boutique IVYBLU, said she has been busier than usual for this time of year.

'Most of my customers buy things for themselves, those essential things, rather than buying things for presents.

ChristchurchNZ marketing, brand and communications general manager Tim Loftus says it is positive to see the upward trend of visitors to the central city so far this year.

'Hopefully next week will be busy, but you never know.'

However, there are areas where the pedestrian count is still lacking, one of the most significant being Cathedral Square. What was once the bustling centre of the city, home to multiple businesses, remains relatively bare today. The restoration of the Christ Church Cathedral is expected to take nearly a decade, and plans to redevelop the Square will not be completed until after that.

During the 2008 survey, 1490 pedestrians were recorded in the Square each hour. In 2018, that number had dropped to 500 and while it had increased to 565 in 2019 it was still drastically lower.

Hereford St, which still has multiple empty buildings and sites, is also lacking in pedestrian numbers. In 2008, 1217 people were on the street each hour – 692 more than this year.

ChristchurchNZ marketing, brand and communications general manager Tim Loftus said it was positive to see the growing number of visitors to the central city overall.

'We love that the buzz has returned to the CBD.'

He expected foot traffic counts would keep rising as more businesses and residents returned, and new central city developments opened.

'Developments like Tūranga are big drawcards, as are the renewed retail offerings along City Mall and High St. A big attractor of people recently has been Riverside Market … this place has proved a huge success in restoring people's confidence in the city centre.'

According to ChristchurchNZ figures, $397 million was spent in the central city as of November 2019 – a 9.3 per cent increase on last year's spending.

The greatest growth in spending was on groceries and liquor, up 19.7 per cent, while spending at restaurants, bars and takeaways increased by 17.8 per cent, and apparel and personal spending increased by 10 per cent. The least growth was seen in department stores and leisure at 4.8 per cent.

'This is positive news for our central city retailers … their confidence in the eventual resurgence is beginning to pay off,' Loftus said.

'Increased foot traffic and central city spending are strong indicators that our residents and visitors alike are exploring our new city and liking what they see.'