23 Jun
Hot off the press: May's BID Barometer

Sheffield BID is pleased to present the May 2025 edition of the BID Barometer, our snap shot report designed to provide insights and trends around customer spending, sector performance, customer catchment areas, and customer demographics.

The BID Barometer is produced in response to feedback from our BID levy payers, who have expressed the need for more detailed and actionable data beyond traditional footfall metrics. While footfall data has been a useful indicator, it often serves as a blunt measure of city centre performance. 

To address this, Sheffield BID has partnered with Beauclair to bridge the data gap and deliver more nuanced insights.

Each monthly report provides summary metrics that highlight key trends. Additionally, the data can be analysed in greater detail to create tailored reports that address the specific needs of individual businesses and decision makers.

Highlights from May's data include:

Spend performance year to date:

Sheffield city centre has demonstrated economic resilience and growth in the first four months of 2025, consistently outperforming regional and national benchmarks. 

City centre sales performance year to date:

Highlights: 

January 2025: Spending reached £16.8 million, marking a 3.1% increase compared to January 2024. In contrast, Leeds saw a decline of 6.3%, and the GB benchmark fell by 3.2%.

February 2025: Spending rose to £18.0 million, up 0.6% from February 2024, while Leeds experienced a 5.4% decrease and the GB benchmark dropped by 5.6%.

March 2025: Sheffield's spending surged to £20.2 million, a 3.4% increase from March 2024. Leeds recorded a 5.1% decline, and the GB benchmark decreased by 4.6%.

April 2025: Spending amounted to £19.0 million, up 1.9% from April 2024, with Leeds down by 3.5% and the GB benchmark falling by 3.1%.

May 2025: Spending reached £21.8m, a 4.3% year-on-year increase, while others areas continued to fall: Leeds (-4%), Manchester (-3.6%) and the GB benchmark (-2.3%).

"Sheffield city centre has demonstrated consistent month-on-month growth in consumer spending throughout the first five months of 2025, outperforming key comparator areas such as Leeds, Manchester, and the GB benchmark. 

"This upward trajectory highlights the city’s economic resilience and growing consumer confidence. The food and drink sector has been the primary driver of this growth, helping to offset contractions in other areas - most notably fashion retail, which continues to face challenges due to shifting consumer behaviours and the rise of online shopping.

"While the overall outlook is positive, these sector-specific pressures underscore the need for targeted support and innovation to ensure balanced and inclusive growth across all parts of the city centre economy."

Diane Jarvis, Head of Business Operations, Sheffield BID

A full library of reports can be found on our web page here: 

BID Barometer - Sheffield BID