Clapham Junction and London Waterloo drive sales at UK train station shops
Clapham Junction and London Waterloo helped drive sales at UK train station shops to £225.9m over the last quarter, according to new figures.
Network Rail’s most recent data, covering April to July, revealed a 10 per cent rise in retail sales across its portfolio of 19 stations in Great Britain.
Bustling Clapham Junction, which plays hosts to the likes of The Bagel Factory, Hotel Chocolat and M&S, stormed to second place, with a 32 per cent annual growth in total sales.
It means the popular station, a funnel through for Londoners travelling to Waterloo and Victoria, reported the second highest sales growth of any UK station, behind only London Waterloo’s 39 per cent.
Network Rail said 14 new stores had opened across all its stations over the period.
In just the last year, London Waterloo has introduced a host of new retail outlets and upgraded the likes of Brewdog, Monsoon, Bootique and M&S.
London stations booming
Train stations in the UK capital are typically far busier than anywhere else in the UK, driving up retail spending as commuters splash out on the way into work.
All of the top ten busiest UK stations are based in London, with Waterloo ranking 3rd at 57.9m entries and exits, according to recent ORR data.
Total sales in Network Rail’s five regions still grew though, with the largest rise coming from North West and Central.
Birmingham New Street Station ranked third for retail sales, being the busiest UK station outside of London.
“Retail at Network Rail’s managed stations continues to go from strength to strength. Our latest sales figures indicate how travel retail remains a marketplace of resilience for the sector and brands,” Hamish Kiernan, commercial director, property at Network Rail, said.
“Throughout Great Britain we have seen positive performance across our retail portfolio, which we continue to support through new openings and investment from brands.”