That Salisbury was resilient, we already knew.

But it looks like the rest of the country is about to find out too.

Our lovely city has been named top bounce-back city in the UK by market research company Ipsos.

This is based on recovery enjoyed by businesses since non-essential retail was allowed to reopen on April 12.

Beating places such as Harrow, Worcester and Dudley, Salisbury has seen the biggest recovery across the country, according to researchers.

This is despite the fact the region recording the highest footfall was actually the North East.

Read more: 6 reasons Salisbury is a great place to shop

How the research works

Ipsos Retail Recovery Index uses data based on the number of shoppers entering stores, excluding grocery, convenience and minor retail stores.

According to the company's website, this is "the only true measure of retail footfall" as only people entering stores as opposed to those walking down the high street or entering shopping centres are taken into account.

The latest figures from Ipsos show that retailers in the North East have seen the biggest recovery of footfall in the three months since non-essential retail reopened on April 12.

Despite the North East leading the way in its footfall recovery, the cities seeing the best bounce-back were more evenly spread across England, with Salisbury coming out top.

Fantastic news

Dan Collins, Business Manager for Salisbury BID, said it was "fantastic" to hear of Salisbury's top place in the bounce-back cities list. 

“This is fantastic news to hear and it’s important to say a massive thank you to the Salisbury community for supporting their local businesses," he said.

“This also highlights just how resilient the businesses are in Salisbury, but after such a difficult 18 months, it is vitally important we continue to support them as much as possible.

"The Salisbury BID and City partners are continuously working together to promote and support Salisbury's retail offering, and much of this is being done through Experience Salisbury, the City's brand new communication channel, telling the public about everything Salisbury has to offer." 

Top 10 bounce-back cities

  1. Salisbury
  2. Harrow
  3. Worcester
  4. Dudley – Merry Hill
  5. Wakefield
  6. Harrogate
  7. Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  8. Falkirk
  9. Brent Cross
  10. Kingston upon Thames

 

Regional breakdown

North East -27.7% on 2019

East Midlands -29.0%

Eastern -31.8%

West Midlands -32.5%

Yorks & Humbs -34.2%

North West -35.3%

South East -35.7%

South West -36.3%

London -36.6%

Scotland & N.Ireland -37.9%

Wales -37.9%

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