After two years of heavy criticism, has the tide begun to turn on the battered fortunes of Glasgow city centre?

Early footfall data from this year suggests that despite tough national economic conditions there may be a recovery underway. Visits to the three top retail streets is up 9% on last year with Argyle Street and Buchanan Street doing especially well. Sauchiehall Street remains a drag on figures but with the public realm works on Sauchiehall Precinct and Cambridge Street due to be substantially complete in the coming weeks, we can reasonably hope to see further improvements in the summer.

There is no shying away from the problems caused by the Sauchiehall Street Avenue works but lessons have been learned and changes made in time for the next stage in the council’s Avenues investment programme. By far the most visible investment coming up next will be in George Square. Just take a walk across the square and you will see close up how much deterioration there has been and how important the refresh now is.

One of the most persistent issues affecting footfall has been the post-Covid popularity of hybrid working. Could the return to the office also be picking up some more momentum? The Chamber’s own research tells us that we are never likely to see the end of hybrid working, although the JP Morgan decision to return to the office full-time has been very high profile. Larger companies have reported greater concern over the impact of hybrid working on productivity and there may be a steady, albeit slow, increase in........

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