The footfall peak on the third weekend in November coincided with the first weekend of Winter Makers Markets at the retail, heritage, hospitality, leisure and cultural venue, as visitors showed their support for local independent retailers.

Figures from The Piece Hall’s automated footfall monitoring have shown that the first weekend of markets helped to bring 58,580 people in to the grade one-listed venue, with local independent craft stalls, artisan makers and pop-up food and drink stalls offering independent produce and gifts to visitors.

This supports broader figures suggesting that November is also set to be The Piece Hall’s busiest month to date since reopening in 2017.

The Piece Hall's first Winter Makers Market of 2021 saw record footfall. Picture: Bruce Fitzgerald

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Nicky Chance-Thompson DL, chief executive of The Piece Hall Trust, said: “The fact that we’ve had such an incredible weekend is testament to the hard work of our team since we reopened, as well as the resilience and determination of our wonderful independent retailers who have worked hard to help bring people back through our historic gates.

“The demand we have seen – which not only compares to but exceeds that of pre-pandemic levels – is another step forward in The Piece Hall’s growth trajectory since its transformation, and we can’t wait to share more exciting plans for the future.

“It also demonstrates the appetite that people have to get out and about again and support their local traders, particularly in the all-important run-up to Christmas. The festive shopping period is a big event in the calendar for many large retailers, but we really encourage people to consider doing things a little differently this year and choosing to support independent retailers.”

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Thank you

James Mitchinson

Retail thrives as The Piece Hall records its biggest weekend