Spider-Man shows the power of leisure led retail as superhero swings into Scotland’s GRID Braehead
Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which was released in the UK at the end of July, drove an immediate and sustained uplift in footfall at GRID Braehead in Scotland, which combines experiential activities, dining, cinema and family entertainment. On the film's opening day (Wednesday, 29th July), GRID recorded a +73.5% increase in footfall YOY, replicating similar visitor patterns to a Saturday at the destination.
It also reports positive daily year-on-year footfall uplift through to Monday, 10th August, with the period delivering a +28% increase compared with the same period last year. Many of GRID’s F&B, leisure and retail offerings benefited from the increased footfall as a direct result from the new film release.
According to GRID, these figures underline the important role that entertainment, leisure and shared cultural moments play in driving traffic to retail destinations. For landlords and occupiers, major releases can create a halo effect extending beyond the cinema itself, bringing significantly larger audiences into destinations and creating opportunities for retail, F&B and other leisure operators to benefit from increased dwell time and cross-visitation.
Bruce Harley, Manager at GRID Braehead, says: “The response to Spider-Man demonstrates just how powerful major entertainment moments can be in driving footfall, particularly during traditionally quieter midweek periods. To see Wednesday footfall reach close to typical Saturday levels is a compelling result.”
“Blockbusters and major events give people another reason to visit, and the opportunity is to translate that initial draw into longer stays by encouraging cross-visitation and driving repeat visits. GRID is designed around that principle, creating a place where entertainment, activity, food and retail work symbiotically rather than in isolation.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Physical retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
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