The idea is the latest in a string of attempts to revive Oxford Street’s in-store visitor numbers after years of decline, hastened by the shift to online retail during the Covid-19 pandemic. The avenue captured an estimated GBP3.1 billion ($5.3 billion) in sales last year, according to a report from the New West End Company, a group created to support businesses in the area.
The Mayor of London has proposed closing Oxford Street off to traffic in a bid to boost the capital’s prime shopping destination, despite a previous failed attempt and likely opposition.
The new Labour government has backed Sadiq Khan’s plan to pedestrianise Oxford Street — one of the busiest shopping streets in London, according to a statement from his office Tuesday.
