Plymouth city centre has more empty shops for its size than almost any city in the 海角视频, a new study has shown.
A survey by tech firm Property Inspect, has found Britain’s Ocean City has the fourth highest number of empty shops of the 50 cities and towns investigated.
Its total of 9.67 empty properties per 100,000 residents puts it only behind table topper Hull, which has 11.89 empty units for every 100,000 people, and then Stoke on Trent and Barnsley.
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Plymouth is ahead of Stockport, Luton, Wolverhampton, Bolton, Stockton-on-Tees and Glasgow in the top 10 cities with the most empty stores.
The study used retail property listings from Rightmove, Zoopla and Savills to determine the average number of central properties up for rent.
Across the 海角视频, the estimated average number of empty high street shops is 6.17 per 100,000 people, putting every area in the bottom 10 way above average. By contrast, Birmingham city centre has only 1.4 empty shops for every 10,000 people.
Plymouth is currently embarking on a £7m city centre regeneration project in Old Town Street and New George Street where the eighties landscaping is being removed and replaced with features designed to make the area look brighter and nicer.
The work has been funded through the Transforming Cities Fund to the tune of £6,529,468. The Heart of the South West LEP also contributed £700,000.
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Plymouth city centre has, along with other retail centres in the 海角视频, seen the loss of several household names in recent years. Currently stores which once housed the likes of Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Thorntons, and Poundworld are still sitting empty. It recently lost its Bonmarche fashion outlet.
But there have been new arrivals, including such names as B&M, and some imaginative uses for former retail spaces, such as hotels and even a church. The city lost its huge Debenhams department store in 2021, but the five-storey pile is now under offer for £3.5m.
There are also empty units in the British Land-owned Drake Circus Shopping Centre, where Game recently closed its outlet. But the mall has also attracted new names including three Watches of Switzerland outlets, each featuring a different brand, and fashion stores and Boss.
However, Property Inspect said that with Plan B measures coming in during the Christmas shopping season, the high street could suffer for another year in a row.
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Business Live's South West Business Reporter is William Telford. William has more than a decade's experience reporting on the business scene in Plymouth and the South West. He is based in Plymouth but covers the entire region.
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Physical stores are still more popular than online shopping during the Christmas period, but economic recovery for many high street shops could depend on the increased footfall during this time. If the new Covid measures encourage more people to stay at home the number of empty shops could continue to climb, the company warned.
Warrick Swift, commercial director of Property Inspect, said: “Whether from Covid lockdowns or other economic pressures, Plymouth high street shops are more empty than average, suggesting a challenging market for any shop owner. Christmas was expected to support recovery, with retail sales climbing for the first time in six months in October. However, new guidance brings with it uncertainty in the fight against Covid and it’s important that shoppers wear masks in stores and take a lateral flow test before venturing out.”
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