25% incremental sales uplift
The pedestrianised zone experienced 37% sales growth, compared with 12% elsewhere — a 25% incremental uplift associated with pedestrianisation.
Client case study
Shrewsbury BID
The economic impact of pedestrianisation in Shrewsbury.
Beauclair partnered with Shrewsbury BID to evaluate how recent pedestrianisation measures influenced economic performance in the town centre — using anonymised weekly debit-card sales data.
Approach
Comparing pedestrianised streets with the rest of the town centre.
Beauclair analysed weekly sales data from two areas within Shrewsbury town centre: the pedestrianised area and the non-pedestrianised rest of the centre.
Baseline period: two full pre-COVID years
Study period: October 2022 – October 2023
Pedestrian area is fully vehicle-free on weekends 10am–4pm
On weekdays, the Square (within the pedestrian area) is vehicle-free 10am–4pm
Key findings
Pedestrian areas outperformed the rest of the town centre.
Weekends drove the biggest gains
Incremental sales growth peaked on Sunday (+54%). Saturday (+24%) also outperformed weekdays (+21%), showing pedestrian-friendly spaces attract weekend spend.
Strong seasonal peaks
Incremental uplift was highest in March, April and June — likely linked to better weather, yet notably outside peak summer, indicating broader resilience.
Food & Drink benefited most
Across Shrewsbury’s five largest retail sectors, Food & Drink saw the strongest incremental growth, with hospitality gaining disproportionately from improved pedestrian environments.
Greater pull for regional visitors
Closest residents (15-minute town) saw +7% incremental growth. Wider-region visitors saw +44% — evidence that pedestrian streets strengthened Shrewsbury as a regional destination.
Sector winners
Beyond Food & Drink, General Retail and Grocery were among the clearest beneficiaries of the pedestrianisation programme.
Conclusion
Compelling evidence that pedestrianisation drove incremental sales.
In particular, it attracted spend from out-of-town visitors at the weekend, in categories such as Food & Drink and General Retail — helping revitalise the town centre and stimulate the local economy.