Middleton Grange Shopping Centre has reported a significant increase in shopper numbers for the festive season.
Total footfall for the month at the popular Hartlepool shopping destination rose to 601,226 for December 2024, a superb 8.7% year-on-year increase.
The lead-up to Christmas and the centre’s festive offerings including the opening of Santa’s Grotto and Hartlepool Giving Tree were key factors in the surge in visitor numbers.
The centre’s busiest day was Monday 23rd December, which saw a peak of 25,031 visitors and performance outpaced regional trends in North & Yorkshire and the UK average.
Nik McDonald, centre manager at Middleton Grange, said: “We are delighted to see such strong footfall numbers in December, reflecting the vibrancy and popularity of Middleton Grange Shopping Centre. Our festive initiatives, coupled with a diverse retail offering, have truly resonated with our visitors.
“We have already enjoyed a strong start to 2025 and look forward to continuing this momentum throughout the year.”
The strong Christmas trading comes after the Hartlepool Development Corporation’s purchase of the shopping centre at the start of 2024.
Tees Valley Mayor and Hartlepool Development Corporation chairman Ben Houchen said: “The success of Middleton Grange is essential to our plan to ensuring Hartlepool town centre is a vibrant and attractive place for people to visit, shop and relax.
“It’s great to see we are already making progress in growing visitor numbers and that the centre enjoyed such a fantastic festive season on which we will build in 2025.”
The annual footfall for Middleton Grange in 2024 was 5,247,548 visitors, demonstrating resilience amid challenging economic conditions.
