Undoubtedly, the Union Street fire on Sunday 8 March was the defining event of Q1. The loss of Victorian architecture, coupled with the closure of Glasgow Central Station and its ripple effects on businesses, commuters, and visitors, made March a particularly challenging month. The city’s response, however, demonstrated resilience and community spirit, with focus now turning to the longer-term plans for the site and support for the local business community.
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Excluding the temporary decline in footfall resulting from the Union Street fire, the overall trend for Q1 indicates modest growth compared with the previous year. Saturdays continue to record the highest levels of footfall, while Sundays consistently experience the lowest. The pace of recovery following the disruption highlights the city’s resilience, with footfall levels exceeding those recorded on the equivalent day in the previous year, just two days after Glasgow Central Station returned to full operational capacity.
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Train passengers remain well below pre-pandemic levels. It is critical that attracting footfall back into the city centre remains an economic priority, with public transport at the heart of this. Cost, reliability and frequency should all play a role in making travel easier and more attractive for visitors to Glasgow.
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The latest available data indicates that tourism figures for 2025 broadly mirrored those recorded in 2024. While the overall trend remains upward, visitor numbers continue to fall short of pre-pandemic levels in both domestic and international markets. Looking ahead to 2026, a year which will feature a programme of major events including the Commonwealth Games, there is cautious optimism that visitor numbers will continue to recover towards 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels.
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Glasgow continues to see higher unemployment than the rest of Scotland and UK on average. Whilst this has been a historic issue, areas of high growth, such as the maritime sector, represent a real opportunity for Glasgow. A focus on skills development to take full advantage of the opportunity must be high on the agenda so we can close the gap.
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Sales remain a concern across all sectors as inflation and energy costs continue to impact consumers. Glasgow figures across 2025/2026 are largely in line with the comparator average and the UK benchmark, despite a poor month in March. Whilst not a positive outlook it does suggest that Glasgow is doing no worse than other cites across the UK in what is very tough trading conditions.
Sales across GB towns and cities fell by -8.2 percent year on year in March 2026, more than double February’s -4.0 percent decline and the steepest drop since June 2025. This downward trend was partly fuelled by consumer apprehension regarding rising prices, particularly fuel, in the wake of ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Such concerns have directly impacted consumer confidence and willingness to spend.
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