V&A credited for footfall rise for businesses as it nears anniversary

V&A Dundee is being credited for a major rise in footfall for businesses by the waterfront.

Some shops have seen the number of customers go up by as much as 40 percent since it opened.

This weekend marks the £80m museum's one year anniversary - Viv Hamilton owns a nearby gift shop.

"Since the V&A's opened the footfall in the street has certainly increased," she said.

We're seeing a lot of visitors, a lot of people who haven't been to Dundee in 10, 20 years and are being pulled back into the city.

"Over the past six years we've seen a steady incline, touch wood long may it continue."

However businesses further from the waterfront aren't quite seeing the same impact.

David Farry runs Keillers China Shop half a mile inland.

"I wouldn't say it's 40% for us, I think we'd be luck if it was 10%," he said.

"We have noticed customers are buying different things so we're getting different customers.

"We are definitely getting people as a result of and I do think it's good for Dundee but we're too far from it to see the same impact."

Council leader John Alexander believes the V&A has changed the way Dundee is perceived by other cities.

"The reputation, nationally and internationally that Dundee now has on the back of that significant project is huge," he said.

But he added the layout of the city isn't the finished article.

"It's always going to be a work in progress when you have these types of things. This is 12 months into what was a game changer for the city.

“We're learning all the time so what you have to do is make sure we take all the feedback from the last 12 months, learn from it and change things."

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