Vacant Shops Reach Record High

The figure is the highest since July 2011, which is when the organisation began collecting data.

The report also highlights the difference between areas – only one in 14 shops are closed in London, but almost one in five shops are boarded up in Northern Ireland and Wales.

Scotland sees one in ten shops empty, just below the UK average.

However, April saw an increase of footfall for retailers, thanks to the slightly warmer weather.

Helen Dickinson, director general of the BRC, said, “It’s a major concern that the vacancy rate has reached a record high, driven by increases in almost every part of the UK, with some regions like the South West seeing a significant leap in empty shop numbers. With high streets topping the agenda for many now, there’s a real opportunity here to seize the moment and stem the tide of further closures. Comparatively small steps to tackle deep-rooted issues such as parking, accessibility and rising business costs could make a huge difference to the health of town centres.

“At least there’s some cheer on offer in the footfall figures, driven by a respectable showing for high streets, but this compares against a very rainy April 2012, when bad weather left a lot of shoppers running for cover. The unsettled weather at the start of the month seems to have created pent-up demand, which brought many of us out to shop when more spring-like weather finally made an appearance.

“As we saw in our April sales figures, there are some very tentative signs of conditions improving, but the trading environment remains volatile. Retailers will be hoping that warmer weather and a Bank Holiday boost help May to usher in better news.”