Students give big boost to Swansea businesses at annual shopping night

Swansea’s Student Shopping Night, this year held on Wednesday 3 October, is delivered in partnership between the Quadrant Shopping Centre, Swansea Business Improvement District (BID) and Swansea Market and is designed to give students the best possible introduction to the city. 

50 retailers and traders offered up to 30% off on the night with over 20 bars, local businesses and musicians creating a thriving atmosphere across both shopping destinations.

Chief Executive of Swansea Business Improvement District, Russell Greenslade, said: “Since we brought the event idea to Swansea nearly a decade ago, it has kept growing. Central to this continued growth is the strong partnership approach we have in place across sectors. This year was another truly successful night for the city centre and our businesses as we welcomed 17% more students to the event compared with 2022. The event continues to be part of our practical operation to help make our BID area a better place for locals and the thousands of students to visit, and also for our stakeholders to do business.”

The Quadrant Shopping Centre manager, Lisa Hartley, said: “Experiencing such an uplift in compared with last year’s event, was fantastic for our retailers; not just for the uplift in sales during the night, but for encouraging repeat student visits throughout their time at university. As a key city centre shopping destination, we are passionate about bringing our shoppers new and exciting reasons to visit; and engaging with the student population is vital for our continued growth at the Quadrant.”

Darren Cox, Supervisor of Swansea Market, owned and managed by Swansea Council, said: “While the market has been a staple for locals for over 50 years, it’s important that we also attract new shoppers to ensure it thrives for many years to come. Over the past 12-months alone, we have welcomed a plethora of new traders such as Flamingo’s Vintage, Bowla, Experience Afrika and Smoothie Den; all of which have widened our breadth of offer for our shoppers to enjoy. We have two fantastic universities in Swansea, attracting thousands of students to the city, and so it’s crucial that we engage with them, so they shop with us throughout their time at university and beyond.”

One retailer having hugely benefitted from the increase in sales and footfall was newly refurbished, surfwear brand, Saltrock.

Manager, Darren Downes, said: “Student Night is such a staple in our retail calendar. Having recently undergone a shop re-fit, it was important that we were able to put our best forward and attract new students who would in turn become regular customers of ours. We saw a significant uplift in sales and footfall compared with 2022 and we are looking forward to experiencing the long-term impact this will have on our business over the coming years.”

Another retailer to have benefitted was Swansea Market’s Billy Upton Butchers. Business owner, Jay Adams, said: “Student Night is so important to us as a business. It’s about more than just generating sales during the event. It’s about raising awareness of everything we offer so that we become top of mind for students during their time in Swansea. Competition is high for us, as an independent butcher, with so many major supermarkets nearby, and so Student Night is essential in helping us appeal to the next generation of customers.”

Students from Swansea University, University of Trinity St David’s, Gower College Swansea, and Coleg Sir Gar all attended the free event which takes place on the first Tuesday in October, annually.