The number of empty shops in the UK has now reached the highest peak since January 2014, as city centres suffer from lack of footfall amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The UK vacancy rate increased to 10.8% in July 2020, up from 9.8% in January, which marks the highest vacancy rate in six years, according to the latest data from Springboard.
Greater London has suffered particularly from lack of traffic, with vacancy rates now two thirds higher than the beginning of this year.
Footfall rates have continued to inch up for the third consecutive month, down 30.8% year on year across all shopping locations.
The rate of increase was half that of June and July, indicating that footfall may be reaching a plateau while the pandemic ensues.
Smaller high streets and coastal towns have fared the best, with footfall around 25% lower in August than last year as consumers continue working from home and opting for staycations over holidays abroad.
Springboard insights director Diane Wehrle said: “The reality of the new normal has already started to bite, with Springboard’s latest vacancy rate data reflecting the widespread store closures announced by large retail and hospitality operators.
“Vacancies rose in six out of ten geographies across the UK, but by far the greatest increase occurred in Greater London where the vacancy rate rose by nearly two thirds.
“With Central London dominating Greater London in terms of footfall volume, this result brings into sharp focus the difficulties faced by large cities in attracting customers back and the impact of this on our bricks and mortar retail landscape.”
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