A key part of the objectives of our research with consumers was to understand the profile of visitors to Kingston Town Centre.
Of the 1107 responses we received to our survey in June/July, 86% had visited the town centre since reopening on 12th April.
Visitor Demographics
The majority of respondents worked, either full or part time, with nearly a quarter retired.
Kingston clearly appeals to those raising a family, with 35% of respondents to our survey in this life stage. An eighth were in a couple with no children, and the same number were single adults living independently.
Cast your net wide
Nearly half of visitors travelled from under an hour away, with a third living in Kingston Upon Thames, but a fifth travelled from 1-2 hours away and 3 in 10 travelled from over 2 hours away. A clear opportunity for Kingston First and businesses to advertise to areas outside of our borough.
Almost half of visitors normally travel to Kingston by foot, a quarter visit by car, and a fifth by bus. Very few travel by bike, train or taxi. 
The most popular time to visit is during the day; 3 in 4 visit during the week with just over half typically visiting at the weekend. Younger visitors aged 18-34 are more likely to visit Kingston in the evening, but equally likely to visit on weekday and weekend evenings. With much discussion over how important the night-time economy will be to our high streets in the future, there are certainly opportunities to make the most of Kingston’s offer.
Two thirds are regular visitors i.e. visit at least once a week. Regular visitors tend to be between 18-34 and typically visit on foot. Less regular visitors i.e. visit once a fortnight or less, tend to be aged 55+, or are retired and typically visit by car.
Does the profile of your consumers match the profile we have seen in our visitor survey? How do you tailor your offering and advertise to your target market? Let us know if this data has been useful to you, and if you have any questions contact us.
Next up in our Research Blog series: Visitor Motivations. Check back in the coming weeks for that….
About the Research
Kingston First commissioned research agency Research by Design to carry out this research, which was designed to build an understanding of consumer wants and needs, and help members adapt and develop their businesses through uncertain times.
Through our own consumer database (built up of subscribers to our consumer newsletter ‘In Kingston’), our ‘In Kingston’ social channels, and subscribers to the Royal Borough of Kingston’s newsletter, we sourced 1107 responses, between 22nd June 2021 and 12th July 2021.
We will carry out this research on a biennial basis so we can more effectively measure the impact of our work and start to track consumer trends.
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