Freshers Week: How to Capture Student Footfall

But an alert and organised business owner is always on the lookout for new opportunities, and while students aren’t always the biggest spenders, there are thousands of them, and they’re all looking to make a new area feel like home. That means they’re looking for their next favourite spot. So why not make it yours and win those sales?

That’s what we’re looking at today: When Freshers Week comes around, what can you do to ensure you’re business is one of the new experiences that students talk about? Below, we cover:

• What and when is Freshers Week?

• What happens during Freshers Week?

• What are pros and cons of the student market?

• Strategies for capturing student footfall

• How to turn Freshers Week customers into regulars 

If you’re not sure whether or not you want to target the new students arriving in your area, or you just want to figure out how to do it, this is the blog for you. So let’s get studying!

What and when is Freshers Week?

Freshers Week (sometimes called Welcome Week) is the introductory period at the start of the academic year, designed to help new students settle into university life before the semester really begins. It typically takes place in the last week of September or the first week of October, though exact dates vary by institution.

During this time, universities roll out a packed schedule of orientation events, society sign-ups, and social activities, all aimed at helping students find their feet, make friends, and get familiar with their new surroundings. For local businesses, this matters because while most of these events happen on campus, many take the students into the surrounding area or end in a trip into town. This is often the very first impression students form of the area beyond campus. It's a short but high-energy window when thousands of newcomers are actively exploring, making decisions, and forming habits that can stick for the next three or four years.

What happens during Freshers Week?

While every university structures its own timetable, most Freshers Weeks follow a similar rhythm: mornings are packed with practical admin (such as enrolment, ID cards, campus tours) alongside taster sessions for the many student societies and get-to-know-you sessions where students can meet each other before classes start. Meanwhile, evenings and later in the week open up into a whirlwind of social events designed to help students make friends, explore, and find their tribe. For local businesses, these are the key moments because much of that exploring happens off-campus, in the surrounding town or city, giving you a real window to get on the student radar when they are the most impressionable.

Typical Freshers Week events include:

• Society and club fairs. Students explore campus, and many will head into town afterwards to debrief with their friends or relax.

• Pub crawls and bar nights. Prime footfall for pubs, bars and restaurants, and late-night food spots or takeaways.

• Themed nights and club events. Students look for venues to host events and for places to get food. They’ll often seek out retailers to buy items needed for the events (think costumes, stationery, decorations and more).

• Sports taster sessions. A chance for nearby cafes and health-focused eateries to offer a place for unwinding after discovering a new sport.

• Market stalls and freshers' fairs. A natural opportunity for local businesses to hand out offers or vouchers directly, meeting students on their turf.

• Movie nights, quizzes, and low-key socials. Lower-energy events where students still need snacks, coffee, or a change of scenery. On campus, this could mean lots of delivery orders!

Even the quieter moments between organised events send students out exploring their new neighbourhood, which is exactly when your business has a chance to become part of the story.

What are the pros and cons of the student market?

Before diving into strategy, it's worth weighing up whether the student market is actually right for your business. Like any customer segment, students bring their own set of advantages and challenges, and understanding both will help you decide how much effort (and budget) to invest.

Pros:

• Huge, concentrated demand. Thousands of new residents arrive within a matter of weeks, in need of everything from groceries to furniture to entertainment, right on your doorstep.

• Strong brand loyalty potential. Students often stick with the first cafe, takeaway, convenience store or grocer that impresses them and makes them feel comfortable, giving you years of repeat custom if you win them early.

• Word-of-mouth power. Students socialise constantly and share recommendations within a matrix of friendships that spreads across the entire university. This means one great visit could lead to hundreds of new customers as the story spreads across the student halls and beyond.

• Lower marketing costs. With students concentrated in specific areas (campus, halls, student unions), you can reach large numbers cost-effectively with physical marketing compared to targeting a spread-out general audience.

Cons:

• Lower average spend. Many students are on tight budgets, so they typically spend less, seek discounts, and can squeeze your margins.

• Seasonal and unpredictable trade. Demand can spike wildly at term start, then vanish during holidays and exam periods. This makes your business less stable and makes it far harder to forecast your stock, staffing, or cash flow.

• High competition for attention. Every business in town is vying for the same newcomers during Freshers Week, so standing out requires real effort, not just a poster in the window.

• Short customer lifespan. Most of the students you win during one Freshers Week will typically move on after three or four years, meaning you're constantly needing to attract and win over a completely new intake.

Nothing on the above list should be a dealbreaker on its own. The real question is how suited your business is to student custom, and how willing you are to adapt for their trade. For most local businesses, a little strategic effort can tip the balance firmly in the "pro" direction, which is exactly what we'll cover next.

Strategies for capturing student footfall

This is where the real work happens. Below are some tried-and-tested strategies businesses use to catch the attention of new students during Freshers Week, and beyond. It’s important to remember that not every approach will suit every business, so consider your budget, capacity, and the types of customers you’re hoping to attract as you consider these options.

Offer student discounts or loyalty schemes

A student discount is one of the simplest ways to get noticed. Even 10% off with a valid student ID can be the deciding factor between your business and a competitor. It tells students you’re accommodating and value their visits.

Loyalty schemes are another classic method of encouraging habit-forming behaviour early on. This is low-cost to implement and easy to test, though it can squeeze margins if not carefully priced.

These approaches can work for any business regardless of industry, though loyalty schemes work best in businesses customers return to as part of a routine, like bakeries and unlike furniture stores.

Partner with student unions and societies

Student unions and societies are trusted organisations with direct access to thousands of students. An endorsement from them carries a lot of weight with the student community. If your business sponsors an event, offers exclusive discounts to society members, or simply gets listed on their partner directory, you’re bound to generate strong, credible footfall. This route takes more relationship-building than a discount code or a printed poster, but the payoff is longer-lasting visibility and association with a trusted student institution.

Best for: pubs, bars, entertainment venues, sports and relevant special interest businesses, food outlets.

Get a stall at the freshers' fair

Most universities run a freshers' fair where local businesses can book a stall alongside societies. This puts you face-to-face with thousands of students in a single day, making it one of the most efficient ways to build brand awareness fast.

Set up and organise an eye-catching stall, and be sure you and any team members with you stay energised as you’ll need to be friendly and talkative all day as you build relationships and make a positive impression on those that pass by. It requires upfront cost and planning (and early booking; spots fill quickly), but the direct interaction and immediate impression it creates is hard to beat.

Best for: retailers, food and drink brands, gyms, salons and service providers.

Lean into social media and student influencers

Students are a very online demographic, with some of the strongest presences on Instagram and TikTok, and they often trust peer recommendations over traditional adverts. Partnering with a student micro-influencer, running a giveaway, or simply posting engaging local content can build buzz quickly and cheaply. This strategy demands almost no financial investment but requires a creative effort and consistent posting to see the best results.

Best for: Most businesses, but particularly cafes, bars, fashion retailers, beauty and grooming businesses.

Host or sponsor a specific Freshers Week event

Running your own event, or sponsoring one, puts your business at the centre of the Freshers Week experience rather than an outsider looking in from the sidelines. Quiz nights, themed evenings, or free taster sessions all give students a reason to walk through your door. This takes some more planning and investment than other strategies, but you’ll recoup some of that investment in sales during the event, and create a memorable first visit or impression that's hard to replicate with other strategies.

Best for: bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, gyms and studios.

Flyer and physical advertising near campus and halls

Maybe they feel old-fashioned, but flyers and posters can still be very effective on campus. Local ads placed near campus buildings, halls of residence, and student hotspots make your business feel very present in your target audience's comfortable campus spaces. It's low-cost and quick to set up, though it can be easily lost among the noise of similar promotions if you choose the wrong times, locations, or designs, so a clear offer and eye-catching design and placement are critical decisions you’ll need to make. 

Best for: takeaways, cafes, convenience stores, laundrettes, delivery services.

Optimise your online presence for local search

Many students research options online before choosing where to spend, especially checking reviews and opening hours. Claiming and optimising your Google Business Profile, encouraging and monitoring reviews, and using local SEO keywords ensures you show up when it matters most. This requires very little ongoing cost and pays off consistently with students and the wider market, capturing any customers actively searching rather than just browsing.

Best for: any local business, particularly cafes, restaurants, and service-based businesses.

How to turn Freshers Week customers into regulars

Of course, winning a student's attention during Freshers Week is only half the battle. The real value comes from turning that first visit into years of repeat custom. Here's how to make it stick:

• Collect contact details early. Getting students onto your mailing list gives you a chance to reach out after Freshers week so you’re harder to forget about.

• Create a sense of community. Regular events, student nights, or partnerships with societies help your business become part of student life, not just a one-off stop.

• Reward repeat visits. Simple loyalty cards or stamp schemes give students a reason to come back rather than trying somewhere new.

• Stay visible year-round. Keep posting on social media and running the occasional student offer, not just during September, but throughout both semesters.

• Ask for feedback and reviews. Students who feel heard are more likely to stay loyal and recommend you to friends.

Freshers Week: an opportunity that can pay off for years!

Freshers Week might not seem like an obvious priority for every business, but the opportunity presented by thousands of arrivals into your area is hard to ignore: Every new student is looking to make an area feel like home. Whether it's a discount scheme, a stall at the freshers' fair, or simply sharpening your local SEO, there are strategies to suit almost any budget or business type. The real win, though, comes from turning that first visit into lasting loyalty. Get it right, and your business won't just capture Freshers Week footfall but will become a genuine part of student life for years to come.