Burnham‑On‑Sea traders have reported a mostly positive summer season, with some enjoying strong footfall while others say changing visitor habits have affected spending in the town.
As the peak holiday period draws to a close, several local businesses have shared their experiences with Burnham-On-Sea.com of what has been another a busy summer.
At Burnham-On-Sea tourist information centre, manager Ian Jefferies says the overall summer visitor numbers in the town were down on last year, although many accommodation providers had reported an “ok season”.
He says more holidaymakers appeared to be staying on holiday park sites and being prudent with their spending when out and about. “As an example, it’s been visibly obvious this year that many visiting families have been taking packed lunches out with them rather than buying at our local businesses,” he said. He added this trend was being seen nationally, not just in Burnham.
On the seafront, Little Italy On Sea owner Karl Rawlins said the summer had been a good one for his ice cream shop. “The hot weather certainly helped us,” he said, adding that it was encouraging to see more visitors choosing longer staycations – rather than briefer visits – than in previous years. He agreed that overall spending has been “cautious.”
At The Esplanade Fish Bar on Burnham seafront, owner Lee Bond says his team had been kept busy throughout the holidays and said it had been “flat out like every year.”
In Victoria Street, Chatterbox Café owner Heidi Crook said the summer holidays brought a welcome boost after a quieter start to the season. She explained that July had been slower, likely due to the extreme hot weather, and that the May half term had also been quiet. “We had a very busy summer holidays thankfully,” she added.
In Adam Street, Brit Chips owner Gavin Holman described the season as “variable, but average overall”, noting that while visitor numbers had been healthy, purchasing has been cautious. He added that community events such as Sunday’s Emergency Services Day “definitely help to bring in extra visitors and boost trade.”
