Landsec has delivered a strong Golden Quarter, with sales and footfall up year-on-year and performance 5% above BRC benchmarks.

This year, total Q4 sales rose 4.9% year-on-year, outperforming the national retail benchmark, which fell by 0.2%. During the three peak Christmas shopping weeks, sales were up 6.5% year-on-year.

Footfall across Landsec’s major shopping centres and outlets also rose by 0.7% over the quarter, supported by seasonal trading

Since FY22, Landsec’s retail destinations have seen cumulative sales growth of 20%, outperforming the UK national average by 17ppt.

Health & beauty, apparel and experiences drive growth

Health & beauty and clothing remained the strongest-performing categories across Landsec’s retail destinations, supported by consumer demand and continued investment in physical stores from leading brands. Four out of six of Sephora’s new store openings in the UK over the past 12 months have been in Landsec destinations. Health & beauty increased 13% in total sales while clothing grew 5%.

Leisure and hospitality also played a key role in performance, with sales up 6.2%. The category also supported dwell times across Landsec’s centres, highlighting the role of experiences in driving spend and repeat visits.

Bruce Findlay, Managing Director of Retail at Landsec, said: “Consumers continue to seek out destinations which combine a wide selection of the best brands with best in class experiences. This was certainly true during the Golden Quarter with sales and footfall for prime retail once again ahead of the wider market. With a reach of one in four UK consumers ,we offer brands more footfall than any other retail platform.”