海角视频

During any normal year, September would see hundreds of thousands of students moving to university to pound the streets and fill entire suburbs of cities - drinking, shopping, eating, socialising - and studying.

It is this fortnight in September when firms in sectors such as retail and hospitality usually see a huge boost in revenues, offering added income particularly to those previously-quiet weekday evenings.

The North West in particular relies heavily on its student population - not just in Manchester and Liverpool - with the number of higher education institutions in the region standing at 15. The University of Manchester alone predicts that its combined student and university expenditure generates 拢2.17bn of output across Greater Manchester, supporting over 21,000 jobs.

However, as we know, 2020 has not been any old year.

Following a six-month pandemic that has seen the country and economy lurch from crisis to crisis, and with the 海角视频 seemingly heading towards a second spike in coronavirus cases, everything about university will be different for the freshers of 2020.

The rules that will change the student experience will undoubtedly have a knock-on effect for businesses dependent on this type of trade such as bars, restaurants and shops - businesses that have already been harder hit by the pandemic than most.

Universities have now started to return across the North West - but with a very different feel. The days are gone - and don鈥檛 look set to return for a considerable time - when hundreds or even thousands of students would pack themselves into nightclubs, bars and shops to take advantage of cheap offers. Those very same deals that are often only gambled upon by companies calculating the larger revenues they will receive simply due to the increased number of customers.

Instead, universities across the country are moving many of the usual welcome events online - meaning lost, largely unsalvageable revenue for the usual beneficiaries. Salford University, for example, as it would ordinarily, but said there will be 'a mixture of online and in-person activities taking place so that students can get to know each other鈥�.

So with the curtailing of student activities and new regional lockdown rules banning people from meeting and socialising with other households from today, what are these businesses now expecting - and how do they view the coming weeks?

One business not filled with much hope is Riff Raff Events - a firm usually hosting dozens of nights a year across cities including Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham and Leeds.

Having been in operation for eight years and holding large-scale events at venues around the city, the Manchester-based company鈥檚 founder Kurt Hurst said the pandemic has 鈥渞eally badly affected us鈥�.

Mr Hurst said: 鈥淭he bulk of our income normally comes between September and Halloween and all of our events rely on operating with large capacities between 1,000 and 1,500.

鈥淏ut due to Covid guidelines, clubs won鈥檛 let us do it and it鈥檚 not financially viable for us to operate.鈥�

The eight-strong team has scaled back operations hugely for this year - and will now only run a handful of socially distanced events - with capacity also on a far smaller scale than usual to comply with social distancing.

鈥淲e cannot make nearly as much as we normally would so we are getting hit badly from every angle. We have been working towards this for months and months so to have to host at this capacity is difficult. There鈥檚 no money in it.鈥�

Mr Hurst said he hoped the pandemic would be over by the next academic year - but that he wasn鈥檛 even sure of that. His team will decide on a plan going forward depending on the success of the imminent tester events.

He said: 鈥淲e will have to gauge the reaction of the students - I don鈥檛 know how they are going to like sitting down in a nightclub.

鈥淚 have no idea what comes next. We were hoping that the clubs would have been back to normal and open by now, so we are in [difficulty].

鈥淚 really hope things are back to normal next year but again, I thought we would have been at that stage now - and we are nowhere near back to normal.鈥�

Another firm anticipating an economic hit on income from students is Andy Young, managing director of Manchester-based dessert cafe Black Milk.

Despite sales quadrupling during lockdown and a 鈥渞ecord August鈥� for the Northern Quarter firm famous for its signature secret sauces, he fears students - whose disposable income is the 鈥渓ifeblood鈥� of firms like his, may be reluctant to spend as they usually do.

Describing them as 鈥渁n incredibly important asset鈥� to the city, he said: 鈥淭hey travel from around the world to make Manchester their home for three or more years. After their degree they often stay.

鈥淭heir disposable income is the lifeblood of many hospitality companies throughout the city. At Black Milk, students definitely constitute a large portion of our guests.

鈥淪ince the virus hit in March, students have vacated the city en masse to be with their families. We鈥檝e noticed fewer students visiting the cafe in addition to several of our own staff returning to their home cities.鈥�

Black Milk traditionally works with brands like Selfridges and Topshop for catering at freshers events at their stores, however these, like many student-focused events and the university鈥檚 freshers fair itself, have been cancelled.

鈥淭his year鈥檚 freshers will be like no other,鈥� Mr Young said.

鈥淣ightclubs are yet to open, and packed bars are a thing of the past.

鈥淪tudents won鈥檛 be able to meet in groups of more than six, which means making new groups of friends and seeing old ones will be very different.鈥�

Mr Young said despite the hit, he was optimistic for the future of his firm, which will 鈥渁dapt and survive鈥�.

He said: 鈥淚 believe that things will improve.

鈥淲e are working non stop to deliver an exceptional experience, regardless of the situation we face.

鈥淏lack Milk鈥檚 purpose is to deliver an exciting experience that people share with friends. It could be in our cafes, at events, or at people鈥檚 homes.

鈥淪ociety may have to adapt, but our approach to our guests will stay the same.鈥�

Graffiti Spirits operates nine hospitality venues across Liverpool, including the Duke Street Market, Bold Street Coffee and Santa Chupitos, many of which rely on students.

Only four of its venues are currently open due to the ongoing closure of late night businesses.

Matt Farrell, co-founder of the group, said: 鈥淲e are not seeing a lot of students around as of yet - the capacity seems very low compared to what it usually is around this time of year."

He said it was 鈥渧ery hard鈥� to predict how social distancing and the 鈥榥ew normal鈥� would affect trade, adding: 鈥淭he more restrictions you put on, the more you're going to drive people to do other things and not come to venues. I do see it impacting us.鈥�

He said even the recent guidelines prohibiting groups to meet in more than six or opening past 10pm would hit all of his establishments.

鈥淔or one of our venues, Salt Dog Slims [on Seel Street], we planned to open that at the end of September/ start of October to time with students coming back and the city being busier. However that doesn't seem like it's going to happen.

鈥淧eople will still want to come out but once you put restrictions in, then we really are very limited.

"The new rule telling us to close at 10pm could affect evening trade for a lot of restaurants. Is anyone going to go in them after 8pm because they will shut at 10? Potentially not.

鈥淭here are no big events on either, so making a night of something will be very difficult as well - so I鈥檇 imagine students might stick to what they know and not go into the city centre at all.鈥�

Mr Farrell said students are 鈥渧ery, very important鈥� to firms like his, adding: 鈥淵ou always see a dip when the students leave in summer until when they come back.

鈥淪tudents being out and about spending and adding to the heart of the city - if that's not happening, it's pretty catastrophic really.鈥�

Alongside hospitality, retail is another sector heavily reliant on student footfall, whether it鈥檚 buying household items to fill their new accommodation, or using a student loan to splash out on new clothes or electronics.

Liverpool ONE, which boasts over 170 shops across various levels in the city centre, said it is expecting a drop in the number of students visiting its stores.

Donna Howitt, communications director at Liverpool ONE, told BusinessLive: 鈥淎s we approach the start of term for universities, we look forward to welcoming students to Liverpool ONE and helping them to make the city their home.

鈥淪tudents are of course an incredibly important audience for many of the brands at Liverpool ONE, so we want to make sure we create a place where they feel safe and give them somewhere that they can enjoy and explore.

鈥淏earing in mind social distancing measures and other Covid restrictions, it鈥檚 likely that we could see a natural reduction in the number of students coming into the city centre to shop and socialise.

鈥淗owever, it鈥檚 therefore essential that we work hand in hand with our partners across the city to continue to communicate with students as they arrive 鈥� or return 鈥� to Liverpool for the start of the new term, letting them know that we can provide Covid-secure spaces for them to enjoy their time here.鈥�

Bill Addy, chief executive of the Liverpool BID company, said figures suggest students are moving back to the city - with its residential population having increased by 4,000 since the end of August.

Mr Addy said: 鈥淲e usually have a student takeover in the city centre to introduce the students to our retail and hospitality businesses and they are offers and deals taking place. These will largely happen online in 2020 but it鈥檚 still an opportunity for the students to get to know the city.

鈥淭he best thing that anyone can do for Liverpool right now is to take a few minutes to just think about how they can help to make the city Covid-safe, especially when we鈥檙e out and about.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important for our community to come together and we need to work hard, all of us, to do our bit. A lockdown would be devastating for our city and devastating for our businesses. When you keep yourself safe you鈥檙e keeping Liverpool safe.鈥�

Figures from the University of Liverpool suggest it is expecting an overall reduction in the numbers of students - although not by a big percentage.

Tim Seamans, director of external relations at the University of Liverpool, confirmed that students had been arriving in the city - and that numbers will increase over the coming weeks.

It鈥檚 expected that with students having won university places based on their predicted grades and the reluctance of overseas students to move, there will be a greater proportion of 海角视频 students this year.

Speaking at the monthly Liverpool Visitor Economy Panel hosted by the Liverpool BID company last week, he said: 鈥淯sually you would expect to see a lot more of our students at this time of year.

鈥淗owever things have changed - our start date is October 5, and students will be starting to arrive and many from overseas will have to self-isolate for two weeks."

He added: 鈥淚n terms of the implications of the pandemic for our student numbers, the headline is that it has made a difference, but not a very significant one in terms of the overall figures.

鈥淚n broad terms, we've seen the pandemic have a negative impact on the willingness of students from overseas to come to the 海角视频. You can understand in the current climate why there is a degree of nervousness.

鈥淥n the other hand, we will have more students from the 海角视频 this year, [so] it's a very substantial community that will be coming back to Liverpool.鈥�

Liverpool-based student accommodation firm Downing said there had been a 鈥渟pike鈥� in student confidence over the past few weeks, with an increased demand for places.

Sally O鈥橞rien, joint chief executive at Downing Students, said: 鈥淲e are continuing to fill places fast. This is mainly due to the fact universities have been able to add more clarity to course delivery, A-Level results have been confirmed and social distancing measures have eased as we move closer to getting things back to normal.

鈥淲hat remains paramount is that students have reassurance and peace of mind as they start to return to universities across the country. We haven鈥檛 noticed students not wanting to come to university this year, but we have noted a lot more concerns about 鈥榃hat鈥檚 going to be offered to me?鈥�, 鈥榃hat can I expect when I get there?鈥�"

Detailing a number of altered facilities in place for students this year, Ms O鈥橞rien added: 鈥淭here is no doubt that starting university this year will be a different experience than many students initially hoped for, but we are committed to providing as fulfilling and exciting an experience as we can.

鈥淲e will continue to develop new ways to bring students together and keep the academic and social element of university life alive.鈥�