OUR TV channels are awash with adverts for perfume, toys and chocolates, bold decorations adorn the John Lewis escalators, and an array of singing adolescents battle it out for the dream of mass exploitation.
It can only mean one thing – Christmas is coming.
While it is easy to scoff at the increasingly early embrace of seasonal goodwill, there is also a serious and commercial method to what can appear a garishly flamboyant madness.
As the nights continue to draw in and the Christmas period looms ever closer, retailers and leisure operators face a growing challenge to attract customers and encourage them to spend money in their shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels.
The importance of Christmas street enhancements cannot be underestimated when it comes to boosting a city’s night time economy.
A veritable bonanza of festive lights, Christmas trees and carol singers can increase footfall markedly and offer an excellent channel for businesses to take advantage by reaching and retaining their target client groups.
For organisations such as ourselves, delivering these initiatives can also be a key method of engagement with levy payers, demonstrating that we understand their needs and highlighting that the commercial district is an attractive destination to do business, reflecting the overarching goal of our successful BID campaign. To that end, we are embracing the festive spirit more than ever this year by installing a giant tree in St Paul’s Square and displaying Christmas lights in Castle Street for the very first time.
Our big switch-on coincides with the launch of the City Central and Liverpool One Christmas decorations, on Wednesday, November 9, demonstrating that, for the evening illuminations to be a successful magnet for visitors, the approach from all parties must be cohesive with the unified objective of enhancing the city’s appeal.
Castle Street, St Paul’s Square and the commercial district as a whole already have so much to offer, but the addition of seasonal enhancements gives them that added extra and maybe even a touch of magic.
After all, it is Christmas.
