Oxford Street spend up since traffic ban, data shows

The mayor of London has praised early figures showing the "transformational impact" pedestrianisation has had on Oxford Street.

Figures from Adyen payment company show spending at Oxford Street stores rose by 28% from about £2.9m last year to £3.7m this year.

Data from City Hall and the Oxford Street Development Corporation shows that more people visited the area during the first week of pedestrianisation and spent more in shops than in the equivalent period last year.

"Our early work has been very warmly received by Londoners and visitors, with a surge in footfall and spend," Lord Sadiq Khan said.

The number of in-store transactions rose by 19% over the same period.

Lord Khan said the initial results were "better than we had anticipated and a real boost for the nation's high street and the businesses that make it such a special place to visit".

"These are staggering early results that show the transformational impact that the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street will have," he said.

Since 26 October, almost 1km (0.62-mile) of the shopping destination has been pedestrianised between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street.

The completed project is expected to cost £150m, which includes the cost of highway changes.

The data shows the area has got busier, with footfall in the traffic-free section rising by 16%, and international visitor numbers up 42% year-on-year.

Transport for London (TfL) recorded more entries and exits at Oxford Circus and Bond Street stations in the first traffic-free week.

At street level, TfL sensors recorded footfall outside Bond Street station up to 46% above the average weekday count at that location between 7 September and 16 October 2026.

Many shoppers and visitors have told BBC London they welcome the changes, and say the street feels safer and more pleasant without traffic.

However, critics of the scheme have raised concerns about its wider impact on journeys through the West End, particularly for bus passengers and other road users.

Michael Bolt, of the Marylebone Association, previously said bus users have lost a number of routes, which means they have already got an extra five to 10 minutes on interchanges.

"Now they're finding that the time it's taking to get through the area is increasing substantially," he said.

"Wigmore Street is going to be pretty well crushed with traffic, and traffic will then have to move up through Marylebone to try and get through."

Shoppers have also raised concerns about accessibility, and whether the re-routed buses and new bus stops and taxi ranks, installed about 200m and 100m from the pedestrianised area respectively, would be enough to support disabled shoppers.

And there continues to be concerns about cyclists using the street.

Tom Fyans, from the London Cycling Campaign, previously told BBC London: "You're going to get a handful who are not going to follow the rules and we need to keep working on that."

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