Over the last three months Positively Putney BID have been working closely with the GLA High Streets Data Team to understand the usage of eating establishments (especially fast foods) within Putney. The research looked at the rapid increase in fast food restaurants since 2021. There seems to be two main reasons why an unusually high number of national fast food businesses have chosen to open in Putney.
1) In the Wandsworth Local Plan, Putney High Street was protected retail frontage meaning a minimum of 70% had to be planning class A1 (retail). Government changed the planning classes in 2020 so retail and hospitality businesses both come under class E. This opened up the possibility for more previously known as A3 businesses (food) to open up on Putney High Street.
2) Following Covid and the increase of people using delivery apps such as Deliveroo; the national chains wanted to be able to maximise on this potential income and therefore open more branches, and Putney town centre fulfilled their criteria.
Using the High Streets Data Map Explorer we looked at the Putney BID area catchment. The is the area that Putney attracts a population that uses its services. Using BT visitor mobile data of the home location of the phone gives us an idea of the catchment and is shown by the dark
pink outline in map above. Businesses reported deliveries typically go to a maximum of 15 min travel time by motor bike. This is shown by the shaded yellow area. These areas are very similar meaning that the catchment for people buying in the businesses and those ordering take aways are effectively the same.
We looked at visitor footfall in the town centre and calculated the busiest day of the week and busiest time of the day – shown in the graph to the right. Saturday is the busiest day of the week with lunchtime the busiest time period every day.
More insights will follow looking at Mastercard spend data.
Graphs reproduced with permission from the GLA High Streets Data Team.