The Belfast Chamber of Trade has started a campaign to bring shoppers, particularly those from the Republic, back to the city for Christmas.
The chamber, in partnership with the city council and Belfast Development Office, has embarked on a major advertising campaign to attract trade.
Last year more than a million extra shoppers visited Belfast, many of them from the Republic. The ending of the IRA ceasefire and the publicity surrounding the Drumcree standoff are being blamed for the fall in trade.
Mr John Cochrane of the Chamber of Trade said he was confident the campaign would succeed in attracting shoppers back to the city centre.