What: High profile retailers including Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Burberry’s flagship store said shopper numbers approached 2019 levels in the area in the first week of the post-Christmas sales.

Why it is important: Local footfall was 45% higher between 26 December and 2 January than the same week the previous year. It was also just 1% short of equivalent numbers in the pre-pandemic 2019 period. Knightsbridge shopper numbers were the busiest on the first day of the Boxing Day sales than on any other during the week, the report also said.

The numbers were also supported by strong footfall in the week before Christmas, with shopper visits increasing 18.8% in the area compared to the previous pre-Christmas week. The numbers were also well ahead of the wider London trend where visits were 3.4% lower.

However, the Knightsbridge Partnership also called on the government to think about how the area competes with the likes of Paris and Milan, which currently offer incentives, such as tax-free shopping, to consumers.

London's Knightsbridge footfall almost back to 2019 levels