Wolverhampton's Mander Centre reports rise in footfall in June amid heatwave
Wolverhampton’s Mander Centre shopping complex has reported a rise in footfall during June as people continued to visit the centre amid historic hot weather.
Figures for June 2025 showed visitor numbers were up 2.08 per cent, compared to June 2024, despite shoppers possibly being tempted to head outside to lap up the early summer sunshine.
The opening of the new Superbowl UK indoor bowling venture and a new Chinese restaurant are credited with helping to draw in the crowds.
A free giant Scalextric track and racing simulator, hosted by ActionBlast events company, also proved a draw in half-term week until June 1, attracting youngsters and the young at heart to have a go.
Mander Centre manager Richard Scharenguivel said: “June was a positive month for us at the Mander Centre, with a 2 per cent increase in the numbers of customers that visited us.
“We opened our first leisure destination and welcomed Superbowl UK to the centre, offering 10 lanes of indoor bowling, interactive darts and indoor playzone for all ages of children which has proved really popular.
“Chopstix also opened in June, giving our customers a new offer of freshly cooked Chinese food and we saw over 200 people queue on their opening day.”
The team at the Wulfrun Centre declined to comment on its footfall figures for June.
Visitor numbers were also up at The Ryemarket shopping centre in Stourbridge.
Ryemarket centre manager Aaron Powell said footfall was up 29 per cent in June from the previous month of May and up 3.4 per cent in June 2025 compared to June 2024.
New Square in West Bromwich welcomed 755,000 shoppers through the doors in June although this figure was down 1.2 per cent year on year.
According to latest data from the BRC-Sensormatic IQ Footfall Monitor, shopping centres across the UK saw footfall fall by 2.3 per cent in June (year on year).
A spokesperson for New Square said: “National figures for shopping centres saw a decrease, believed to be due to extreme weather keeping shoppers away.”
They told the Express & Star the shopping centre collates annual figures from July to June, adding: “On that basis footfall is 3.2 per cent up on the year.”
Meanwhile, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed retail sales rose across the country by 0.9 per cent in June, having fallen by 2.8 per cent in May.
The ONS said demand jumped for non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks in the searing summer temperatures, while motor fuel sales leapt by the biggest amount for more than a year as the country headed out to enjoy the weather.
But while England's hottest June on record meant mainly good news for hospitality businesses, non-food sales rose only slightly, despite department stores and clothing retailers reporting strong trading in the month.
Hannah Finselbach, senior statistician at the ONS, said: "Following a poor May, it was an improved month for retail sales with growth across all main sectors.
"The warm weather in June helped to brighten sales, with supermarket retailers reporting stronger trading and an increase in drink purchases.
"It was also a good month for fuel sales as consumers ventured out and about in the sunshine.
"Looking at broader trends, retail sales are up slightly across the latest quarter, but are down when compared with pre-pandemic levels."
The ONS figures showed petrol and diesel sales jumped by 2.8 per cent in June - the biggest rise in fuel sales since May 2024. Food sales rose 0.7 per cent month-on-month, following a drop of 5.4 per cent in May.
