New Figures Suggest Surge in Spending on Brentford High Street

Takings in the town centre up by 28% compared with last year

The arrival of the Everyman Cinema in the Brentford Project might have contributed to the rise

September 18, 2026

Newly released official figures show suggest that there has been a significant increase in both spending and footfall in the centre of Brentford.

The High Streets Data Service (HSDS), which is a collaborative data-sharing partnership between the Greater London Authority, London boroughs, and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), saw its index for Brentford Centre footfall rise by 15% and spending up by 28% in the first three months of this year compared to the same quarter in 2025.

It is probably that much of the rise is explained by the launch of the new Lidl store which brought 15,000 sq ft back into trade with a very high transaction volume. Another key reason is likely to be the launch of the Everyman Cinema which opened at the end of March 2025. This could help also help explain why spend rose much faster than footfall with film goers also dining out in the area.

Despite these encouraging numbers, there are indications that trading conditions remained difficult for local retailers with a number of closures taking place over this period including the loss of Hewson Books.

Elsewhere in the borough, there was a similar picture in Chiswick but growth in spend and footfall in Hounslow and Feltham remained relatively depressed.

The numbers were released by the Labour party in Hounslow as it hailed its new powers to tackle vape shops and bookies which it believes will further boost retail prospects in town centres. Only a limited amount of data was made available to us so we were unable to verify whether the surge in footfall and spend in this quarter was part of a broader trend or a one off.

Last month the Government announced a suite of measures aimed at reviving Britain’s High Streets. These included removing ‘aim to permit’, giving local authorities greater powers to refuse new betting shops, closing the loophole that allows vape shops to open without applying for planning permission and legislating to double the maximum length of Closure Orders from 6 to 12 months, giving police and local authorities more time to investigate premises linked to organised crime and stop rogue operators reopening too quickly.

In addition, support is being offered to improve shopfronts, signs and the overall look and feel of high streets, backed by the Planning Advisory Service

The Labour Group of Hounslow Councillors brought a motion welcoming these announcements to Tuesday’s Borough Council Meeting. and committing to use these new powers to prevent clustering of betting shops in our most deprived communities and prevent vape shops from opening near schools.

Cllr Shantanu Rajawat, Hounslow’s Labour Leader, said, “For too long local councils have lacked the tools to stop the unchecked spread of betting shops, adult gaming centres and vape shops. These announcements have put power back in the hands of local people, and as a council, it is our duty to act. We will use these powers to preserve the character of our local high streets.

“This isn’t about saying that certain businesses are ‘good’ or ‘bad’. There are 57 gambling establishments in Hounslow. These are often most concentrated in deprived communities. Removing ‘aim to permit’ just helps level the playing field in favour of local people and will help to ensure that the house doesn’t always win.”

Cllr Tom Bruce, Deputy Leader, and Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development added, “Higher footfall and spend on our high streets are signs of how resilient they are. But we also want our town centres to be places that people can feel proud of. That's why we’re investing £1.5 million of Pride in Place funding on projects like restoring shopfronts, installing murals and mosaics, as well as investing in ‘meanwhile uses’ for empty shops.

“People can feel powerless when they see their local high street being taken over by vape shops and bookies. The key to healthier high streets is restoring a sense of pride.”