Godalming Footfall Snapshot - March 2026

March at a glance

• Footfall +11% vs February

• Footfall +5.8% year-on-year

• +2,804 additional visitors vs March 2025

• Average visit length 52 mins (+7 mins YoY)

March saw a strong uplift in footfall across Godalming, with visits up both month-on-month and year-on-year.

Reach beyond the local catchment

Growth is being driven in part by visitors travelling from further afield, particularly those coming from 10+ miles away.

Encouraging to see that more people are choosing to visit Godalming as a destination, not just a local convenience.

Visitor profile

Godalming continues to attract a relatively affluent audience, with 39% of visitors classed as high spend potential.

The chart below highlights where higher-spend audiences are located within reach of the town. This can be useful context when thinking about who you’re trying to attract and how your business might reach customers beyond your regular local base.

Source: Place Informatics

Event impact: Vintage & Antiques Market (7th March)

• 14,926 visitors on the day

• +9% vs the same event last year

• 30% of visitors travelled from outside the immediate area

• Around two-thirds of visitors were new to town

Events continue to play a role in attracting new audiences and increasing awareness of Godalming.

National spending context

• Overall consumer spend remains subdued

• Stronger categories include health & beauty and entertainment

Customers are still spending, but more selectively - often prioritising smaller, experience-led or “feel good” purchases.

What these insights could mean for your business

• More visitors, including from further afield
  → opportunity to capture new customers

• Increased overall footfall
  → greater potential to convert visits into sales

• Affluent audiences within reach
  → opportunity to appeal to higher-spend customers

• Selective spending behaviour
  → clear reasons to visit, strong presentation and customer experience remain important

Sources: Place Informatics analysis using data from Met Office, Office for National Statistics, Barclays & Zoopla.