VISITOR numbers have rocketed since the arrival of Tesco and Primark in Bournemouth town centre.

The new Tesco off the Square, along with the Primark in Commercial Road, have pushed up footfall by 24 per cent for January.

And the arrival of Tesco – which has attracted office workers for lunchtime food and grocery shopping – has sparked a price war with bakery chain Greggs.

Roger Parker, Bournemouth’s town centre manager, gave the news to February’s meeting of the town’s chamber of trade at the town hall.

He said footfall in Commercial Road around Primark was up by 47 per cent compared with last January.

And he added: “You see everyone walking around with Primark and Tesco bags.

“The new Tesco has actually generated a bit of a buzz and a new dynamic in people walking across the square.

“I believe it’s brought new spend into town because professional people weren’t buying groceries.

“People are now hanging around the square where previously there was nobody.”

He said Gregg’s in Old Christchurch Road had seen its lunch time trade “slashed” by the opening of Tesco.

He said the bakery chain had launched a new lunch time deal of £1.99 to compete with Tesco’s £2.99 meal deals.

Mark Smith, head of tourism, said people in his own office were now buying food at the Tesco, rather than going to out of town shopping centres on the way home.

Tesco opened on January 17 in the former Borders store and Primark opened in the former BHS store on November 30.