York’s city centre economy outstripped national benchmarks in May, with sales and footfall both climbing sharply, according to the latest monthly insights report from York BID.
Sales jumped 8.2 per cent compared to May 2025, comfortably ahead of the 4.5 per cent UK benchmark. Footfall recorded an even stronger 8.8 per cent year-on-year rise, while average revenue per customer grew 1.4 per cent against a UK benchmark of just 0.3 per cent. The figures, published on 8 July, suggest visitors not only returned in greater numbers but also spent more once they were in the city centre.
The report is part of the York Economic Data Hub, a partnership between York BID, York St John University Business School, the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority and City of York Council. It uses anonymised mobile device data from BT Active Intelligence and spending data from Beauclair, which processes roughly 1.5 billion in-store debit card transactions each year.
Year-to-date figures for the first five months of 2026 reinforce the trend. Sales are up 4.7 per cent against a 4.1 per cent UK benchmark, and footfall has grown 8.1 per cent. York BID has been publishing monthly reports alongside quarterly webinars as part of the Economic Data Hub initiative, which launched on 9 April, giving businesses and investors a regular snapshot of the city’s high street health.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
