Clothes stores, bookshops and cafes all see a big increase in footfall and sales in autumn
Nottingham city centre businesses are enjoying a “big boost” thanks to the return of students to the city’s universities.
Term-time returns to Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham in September, and we spoke to businesses in Hockley to find out more about how the return of students is affecting their trade.
From bars and restaurants to beauty salons and second-hand clothes stores – and being dubbed the Rainbow Quarter – all year round, Hockley is most definitely full of buzz.
But for many businesses, students returning to shop, eat and drink in the area makes the autumn months even better.
Patrick Shannon, volunteer at Bookwise, a book and sheet music store, explained: “Second-hand books, particularly with students revising and picking up reading lists… it’s a good way for students to get books at the right price.
“We’ve got books for everything, from sociology to classic literature. We normally expect the middle of September onwards for it to get busier (with students).”
Scarlett Fisher, assistant manager at taco restaurant Taquero, said: “It definitely makes us a lot busier. It is good when the students come back. The only negative is they don’t spend a lot of money.”
Megan Starbuck, team leader at coffee shop BEAR, explained that it depends on the month, but it is busier when students are back.
She explained: “October, November, we are busiest. Normally, January is quite dead for businesses, but when i started working here, I was really shocked by how busy we were.
“When all the students come back in January, they come here.”
Other shops around Hockley find the best way to attract new student customers is to host student events and offer discounts.
Sophie Barker, store manager at White Rose 4, a second-hand charity store, said: “It always makes a big increase in the footfall and the sales as well.
“We have a student lock-in in October, which always brings students in as well.
“There’s an hour between four and five when they get 25% off to introduce students to the stock we’ve got and get them involved in shopping sustainably.”
COW, a vintage store in Hockley, is also bringing a freshers’ event open to all Nottingham students on September 23 and September 24.
Connor Farrow Griffiths, senior sales assistant, said: “It’s a pretty big boost for us in general.
“When the students start venturing out a little bit more, we get quite a big boost from that.”
