The arrival of high street heavyweights including Crew Clothing, Rituals and Oliver Bonas helped fuel a 14 per cent rise in footfall at Stamford Quarter last year, new figures reveal.
The shopping and workspace destination recorded its busiest month in September, when 435,503 visitors passed through - an 18.5 per cent jump compared with the same period in 2024.
Crew Clothing chose Stamford Quarter for its first Greater Manchester store, while Co-op launched only its second 'On the Go' micro-store concept in the UK at the site. Established names including Next and EE also renewed their commitments to the location.
The strong performance contributed to a broader upturn across Altrincham town centre, which welcomed 8.73 million visitors over the year, up 2.2 per cent on 2024.
Chris Houghton, Head of Retail and Leisure at Bruntwood, which manages the Stamford Quarter, said the figures demonstrated what a successful modern town centre could look like.
"At a time when so many UK high streets are still feeling the strain, Altrincham is proving that when you invest in people-first regeneration, curate the right blend of uses and build genuine community around a place, you get lasting, sustainable growth," he said.
"Stamford Quarter has become a destination in its own right and visitors can clearly see it in the weekday buzz created by Foundation, the way people use the new public realm and the confidence retailers are showing when they choose to open here."
The destination also invested in new landscaping, seating and pedestrian routes last year, while Foundation, Bruntwood's workspace offering, reached near-full occupancy after welcoming creative agency TGG.
Cllr Liz Patel, Trafford Council's Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration, described Altrincham as "a great example of a modern, thriving town that's hard to rival".
