Vacant Shops Reach Record Levels in October

Footfall in the three months to October was also 0.4% lower than the same time in 2011.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said the hardest hit locations were the East and South West of England and Scotland.

Northern Ireland, the West Midlands and Greater London were the only regions to show increased footfall.

Stephen Robertson, director general for the BRC, said, “This new high in empty shop numbers really sets alarm bells ringing. It’s the worst vacancy rate since the survey began in July 2011 and confirms that financial challenges for both customers and retailers are far from over.

“Many retailers are battling stagnant sales and rising costs, and next year’s threatened business rates increase can only make matters worse. If the Government wants to breathe life back into our town centres and ensure the retail industry can play its full role in job creation it needs to freeze rates in 2013.

“It’s a little more cheering to see footfall suffering less than the previous quarter but shopper numbers were still no better than a year ago. The figures follow a similar pattern to our retail sales monitoring. September’s cold snap drew the crowds stocking up on warmer clothing. But, while the Olympics appears to have brought people out onto high streets, that didn’t translate into a surge in spending.”