The Mayor’s landmark day pedestrianising Oxford Street significantly boosted footfall and sales, new data shows
- Landmark traffic-free day on Oxford Street sees nearly 70 per cent of stores on the street that were surveyed reporting similar or higher sales than a typical Sunday
- Number of visitors flocking to famous road for traffic free “This is Oxford Street” event up by nearly 50 percent
- Passenger numbers at stations around Oxford Street jumped by a quarter
- Mayor is moving forward with bold proposals for pedestrianisation and regeneration of Oxford Street
The Mayor’s landmark traffic-free “This is Oxford Street” event delivered a significant boost to the local economy, with footfall in the area 45 per cent higher than the week before [1]. Nearly 70 per cent of stores on the street that were surveyed reported similar or higher sales than a typical Sunday [2].
On Sunday 21st September, Oxford Street was closed to traffic from 12pm until 8pm for the first event of its kind, offering Londoners and visitors a glimpse of what the nation’s high street could look like in the future under the Mayor's plans. Themed zones featuring fashion, sport, music, food, heritage and much more spanned half a mile from Orchard Street to Oxford Circus, showcasing the iconic area as it’s never been seen before.
The new data shows the event was a roaring success with Londoners and visitors and underlines the positive impact a transformed Oxford Street will have on businesses across the district.
A New West End Company (NWEC) survey found that 67 per cent of stores on Oxford Street [3] reported similar or higher sales during the event, compared to a typical Sunday. Meanwhile, 83 per cent of Oxford Street stores surveyed would consider taking part in similar events in the future.
The number of passengers using stations serving Oxford Street - Marble Arch, Bond Street and Oxford Circus - [4] soared by a quarter compared to the previous Sunday, and Transport for London found the event had minimal impact on road traffic.
More than three quarters of people surveyed on the day said the event improved their experience of visiting Oxford Street, while more than half specifically liked the increased pedestrian space [5]. The survey results will be published online in due course.
Oxford Street boosts our economy by £25 billion every year and welcomes more than half a million visitors every day. But in recent years it has suffered to a variety of reasons, from the pandemic to the growth of online shopping and retail parks.
The Mayor is moving forward with his bold proposals to pedestrianise Oxford Street and revitalise the area, following the overwhelmingly positive response from the public and business to his proposals for the street’s future [6].
The Mayor aims to deliver his proposals as quickly as he can. Later this year, Transport for London will be consulting on the changes to highways and public transport that would be required to close the street to traffic.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This traffic free day on Oxford Street was a celebration of everything that makes our dynamic city great and showed the huge appetite for a cleaner, more welcoming and more prosperous West End.
"These fantastic statistics prove that when people are put at the heart of Oxford Street, without traffic, the area thrives and businesses benefit. That’s why I am moving forward with my proposals to pedestrianise Oxford Street and revitalise the area as quickly as I can.
"By choosing to be imaginative and bold, we can deliver a better future for Oxford Street, a cleaner, traffic-free and truly accessible world-class public space.”
Claire Mann, Chief Operating Officer at TfL said: “It’s great that this unique event brought so many people to Oxford Street, helping to support this iconic high street. As the highway authority for the street, we will continue working closely with Westminster City Council and the Mayor of London to support visitors, as well as local residents and businesses, while also engaging with stakeholders on wider proposals to pedestrianise Oxford Street in the future, which will be consulted on later this year.”
BusinessLDN Chief Executive, John Dickie, said: “The Mayor’s traffic-free day showed the huge potential of a revitalised Oxford Street. With one traffic-free day providing such a boost to local businesses, imagine what making the nation’s high street fit for the 2030s, not the 1930s, year round could do for London and the country’s economy. Close consultation with local landowners and businesses will be essential to the project’s success and we look forward to working with the Mayoral Development Corporation, the New West End Company and other stakeholders to restore Oxford Street to its former glory.
Dee Corsi, Chief Executive at New West End Company, said: “‘This is Oxford Street’ offered visitors a fresh and dynamic way to experience the nation’s high street, with our data revealing that the one-day pedestrianisation drove large increases in footfall for both Oxford Street and neighbouring streets across the district. Leveraging fresh data and feedback gathered from the day, we will continue to work with our members, the Mayor of London, Westminster City Council and the wider West End community to realise the full potential of a reimagined Oxford Street.”
Notes to editors
[1] The footfall figure is a count from the event footprint positioned to track pedestrian flow across the street using five New West End Company (NWEC) cameras.
[2] NWEC represents and supports business and the wider West End community.
Following the event, they sent a survey to members asking by what percentage their sales increased on the day.
They received 21 responses. These included 12 on Oxford Street - six on Oxford Street within event footprint, six on Oxford Street who participated in the event, five on Regent Street and four on Bond Street. Members were
[3] Stores both in and outside the event footprint
[4] Analysis based on comparing total entries and exits at Marble Arch, Bond Street and Oxford Circus stations on 21 September 2025 compared to 14 September 2025
The closure of Oxford Street for the event meant some bus routes were diverted in the immediate area. TfL saw a small reduction in ridership on the routes serving the event as a result, which is to be expected when routes are diverted.
[5] City Hall commissioned Walnut Unlimited to conduct the on-street survey at the event.
A total of 270 surveys were completed on the day with three filled out online.
A findings report will be published online in due course.
[6] The consultation can be found here: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/oxford-street.
In June 2025, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced he will move ahead with bold proposals to pedestrianise Oxford Street and revitalise the area following overwhelming public and business support for his proposals. More information: https://www.london.gov.uk/overwhelming-support-for-mayors-oxford-street-plans.
Between 28 February and 2 May 2025, the Greater London Authority (GLA) consulted Londoners on two questions related to Oxford Street: the designation of a Mayoral Development Area (MDA) and the principle of pedestrianising Oxford Street. The consultation was widely publicised to statutory consultees, local stakeholders, Londoners and other interested parties throughout this period.
The consultation received 6,642 submissions from a wide range of respondents across Greater London and beyond. These included statutory consultees, individuals, residents' associations, businesses, trade unions, trade bodies, active travel groups, and accessibility organisations.
On the question of designating an MDA, 69 per cent supported the proposal, of those who responded on this topic. On the principle of pedestrianisation, 66 per cent of those who responded on this topic were in support. This does not include those who responded with boilerplate text through campaigns. If all campaigns are included, the MDC support rises to 70 per cent and the pedestrianisation support rises to 67 per cent.
The Mayor is progressing with steps to establish a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) dedicated to regenerating the area and ultimately making Oxford Street a world-leading urban space for shopping, leisure and outdoor events. Following support from the London Assembly in July 2025, the Mayor is working with Government to make the necessary legislation for the MDC to be established by 1 January 2026.
Transport for London will be consulting on highways and public transport changes to enable pedestrianisation later this year. Subject to consultation, these changes would enable the removal of east / west traffic between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street.
The Mayor has worked closely with Westminster City Council and is delighted that the process to hand over control of Oxford Street has now been completed, ensuring that Transport for London now acts as the highway authority for the road. The Mayor recently signed a Mayoral Decision which allowed orders to be made confirming the redesignation of the road.
Soon the Mayor will also appoint two teams working together who will take forward design of the necessary public realm improvements and set out a masterplan for the length of the street, including improvements to the east end of the street from Oxford Circus to Tottenham Court Road.
The MDC will work alongside government, businesses, local councils and local residents to develop and deliver a bold new vision for London’s flagship high street. The Mayor’s proposals include:
- creating a beautiful pedestrian-friendly public space to attract shoppers, which can host exciting events and activities to make Oxford Street a place for all;
- creating a well-designed, high-quality space that showcases the best of London's talent, assets and opportunities – a place that Londoners feel proud of and those coming to London want to visit, invest in and return to;
- hosting exciting events to showcase and test the potential of a new and more inviting public space.
These proposals aim to attract more national and international visitors, bringing the world to London and showcasing the best of London to the world. This will also help drive progress on the recently published London Growth Plan by acting as a magnet for new customers, new investment and new jobs for decades to come. More information: London Growth Plan | London City Hall.