According to a report conducted by the Local Data Company (LDC), the number of retail shops that lie empty on our high streets has increased in the north, but dropped in the south.
LDC found that on average 14.6 per cent of all retail commercial properties are unoccupied. The North West was the worst region for vacant shops, recording 5.5 per cent above the national average.
Speaking of the empty shops, Matthew Hopkinson LDC Director said: “There was some way to go before there was likely to be positive change in the proportion of empty shops.”
London however saw a 0.6 per cent drop in vacant properties from 10.7 per cent to 10.1 per cent. But with the Olympics just finishing and the Paralympics still on-going, it is no wonder than London has recorded a fall in vacant premises as businesses open new shops to take advantage of the Olympic bandwagon.
Factors that could have influenced the high rates in the north are a fall in consumer spending, mainly due to the bad summer weather and a lack of disposable income, but also increased online sales enticing people away from the high street.
LDC research was based on the company visiting 145,000 retail commercial properties all over the country. Some however have criticised LDC’s research as the boundaries where town centres end hasn’t been updated in eight years – which could make the results “fatally flawed.”
Martin Blackwell, Chief Executive of The Association of Town Centre Management (ATCM) said: “They use an out-of-date set of criteria for establishing town centre boundaries and, as a result, they don’t reflect the reality on the ground.”
