York BID Launches New Economic Data Hub for City Businesses

Ever tried to guess the best day to launch a new menu item, or when to put on a sale? For many small businesses in York, it can feel a bit like guesswork, hoping you’ve picked the right moment. But what if there was a way to swap that guesswork for actual facts? Well, something pretty big has just landed in the city that could change the game for local businesses. The York Business Improvement District (BID) has just launched a brand new, free online tool called the York Economic Data Hub. Think of it as a one-stop-shop for all the numbers and figures that show how the city’s economy is ticking. This new platform is designed to give businesses of all sizes a clearer picture of what’s happening on their doorstep, helping them to spot trends and make smarter choices. It's a serious bit of kit for the whole Yorkshire business community.

So what is this data hub thing anyway?

Right, let’s get down to it. The York Economic Data Hub is basically a website where local businesses can find loads of useful data about the city, all in one place. Before this, finding this sort of information might have meant digging through different reports and websites, which nobody has time for. Now, this new online platform pulls it all together. It’s designed to be super easy to use, even if you’re not a numbers person. The goal is to give business owners the insights they need without the headache. The York BID team, including figures like Alice Bentley, have been working to make this a reality for businesses across the city.

The hub gives businesses access to some really key pieces of information that show the economic pulse of York. Instead of just relying on a gut feeling, a shop owner or restaurateur can now look at real, up-to-date information. This could be anything from understanding visitor spending habits to seeing how many people are walking down a particular street. This kind of data can help with all sorts of projects. The information available includes:

• Visitor Spending: See what tourists and locals are actually spending their money on.

• Footfall: Track how many people are in the city centre at different times of the day or week. This is gold dust for planning staffing or opening hours.

• Hotel Occupancy: Get a sense of how busy the city is with overnight visitors.

• Retail Vacancy Rates: Understand the health of the high street by seeing how many shop units are empty.

Chris Bush, the Business Manager at York BID, summed it up nicely. He said,

“We’re delighted to be launching this resource for York’s business community as part of our ongoing commitment to monitoring the commercial performance of York city centre. By bringing together data on everything from visitor spend to retail vacancy rates, we hope the hub will help businesses make decisions with more confidence.”

A proper team effort for the city

This whole thing hasn't just appeared out of nowhere. It's the result of some clever collaboration between several key players in the city. The York BID has partnered up with the York Business School at York St John University. The university has even provided a dedicated data analyst to help make sense of all the numbers, making sure the insights are top-notch. It’s a fantastic example of academia and business working together on projects that benefit the whole city.

Brendan Paddison, Dean of York Business School, is clearly excited about the partnership. He said,

“This is a transformative development for the city’s business community. Access to timely, reliable data is essential for navigating today’s complex economic environment. By enabling better insight into trends such as consumer behaviour and city centre performance, the hub will play a key role in driving resilience, innovation and sustainable growth across York. We’re proud to be part of a partnership that reflects a shared commitment to strengthening York’s economy for the benefit of all who live, work and study here.”

And it doesn’t stop there. The Mayor of York & North Yorkshire, David Skaith, is also backing the initiative. A key part of the platform, the Advanced Beauclair subscription, has been funded for three years by the Mayor’s Vibrant & Sustainable High Street Fund. This shows a real commitment to helping local traders across Yorkshire thrive.

The Mayor, David Skaith, commented,

"High streets are constantly changing, but they have, and always will be, hubs for our communities. That's why I'm backing community-led projects across York and North Yorkshire. Like York BID's data hub, which is a great example of how we can use technology to level the playing field for our local traders. By providing businesses with real-time insights into spending and footfall, we are giving them the tools they need to adapt and thrive. Residents and businesses understand most what is needed in their communities, and I am proud to be backing their plans with my Vibrant and Sustainable High Street Fund."

So, how does it all work?

You might be wondering where all this data comes from. It's a mix of clever tech and more partnerships. A big part of the platform is the Advanced Beauclair subscription. This tool provides incredibly detailed insights by looking at anonymised debit card spending. It can show which sectors are doing well, where customers are coming from (their catchment area), and even general information about who they are. This helps businesses understand their customers better without ever compromising anyone's privacy.

On top of that, the City of York Council is also chipping in. They’re contributing data from their BT Active Intelligence system. This system uses anonymised data from millions of BT and EE mobile phone users visiting the city. Again, it’s all completely private, but it allows for an incredibly accurate picture of footfall and movement trends around the city. This collaboration between York BID and the City of York Council means a more joined-up approach to using data to support the city's future. Even the Hospitality Association York is involved, providing data on hotel occupancy. It’s a real powerhouse of information, all feeding into the Economic Data Hub.

How to get a look

The great news is that the York Economic Data Hub is now live and completely free for businesses to use. You can check it out right now. And for anyone who wants a guided tour, the York BID team is hosting a special online webinar. The 'Economic Snapshot' webinar is happening on Thursday 23rd April at 10am. The team will walk everyone through the platform and show them how to get the most out of it. Anyone interested just needs to register their attendance online to get the link.