High street store closures: the worst and best high streets for UK shops closing revealed by new report

• Newport has the highest shop vacancy rate in the UK, with 19% of shops sitting empty
• Bradford and Blackpool follow closely, with 18% and 17.6% vacancy rates respectively
• Towns like Wigan, Middlesbrough and Birkenhead are also struggling, often losing trade to nearby cities
• Oversupply of shops, out-of-town malls, and a lack of local spending power are key factors
• Thriving high streets like York and Edinburgh have adapted by focusing more on food and experiences

From boarded-up shopfronts to bustling brunch spots, the divide between Britain’s best and worst high streets is widening — and it's not just about retail.

A new report from Centre for Cities has revealed that towns like Newport in Wales (where nearly one in five shops now sit empty), Bradford and Blackpool are among the hardest hit.

Newport has the highest shop vacancy rate in the UK, with 19% of its shops now closed. Close behind is Bradford, where 18% of the city’s shops are empty. In Blackpool, 17.6% of high street units are shut, giving it the country’s third-worst vacancy rate.

In contrast, cities like London and Cambridge boast vacancy rates as low as 7.4% and 8.5%, pointing to deeper economic and demographic divides across the UK.

Why are these high streets struggling?

Centre for Cities’ report identified several reasons why towns like these are struggling, starting with an oversupply of shops relative to the local population.

In Newport, Wigan and Middlesbrough, there are between 2.5 and 2.9 shops for every 1,000 people in the area — far higher than places like Brighton and Liverpool, where the shop vacancy rate is under 10%.

These struggling towns also tend to be located near larger cities that draw away much of the local spending. Newport, for example, loses nearly 5% of its high street spending to Cardiff.

Bradford faces a similar challenge from Leeds, while Birkenhead sees 7.5% of its potential high street trade drift over the River Mersey to Liverpool.

Keep in the mix with NationalWorld’s breaking news - sign up for our newsletter.

In some areas, large out-of-town shopping centres are also having an similar effect. In Sheffield, many shoppers are choosing to spend their money at Meadowhall rather than in the city centre.

The same goes for the Metrocentre, which pulls shoppers away from urban high streets in the North East.

But it’s not all bad news for Britain’s high streets, and the report also sheds light on how successful high streets are evolving.

In York and Edinburgh, where consumer spending remains strong, one in every four pounds spent in the city centre goes on food and drink

In contrast, in Bradford, Stoke and Wigan, just one in ten pounds is spent in this way — suggesting a missed opportunity to tap into the experiential economy that continues to draw people into town.

What can be done?

To help reverse the decline, Centre for Cities is calling on the Government to dedicate £5 billion of its newly announced £113 billion infrastructure package to revamp city centres — with a focus on adding more homes, creating better public spaces, and attracting permanent residents rather than just tourists.

Andrew Carter, the think tank’s chief executive, said: “The high street has long been the bellwether of the local economy. Shuttered-up shops influence people’s opinions about how successful their areas are.

“But the issue isn’t just cosmetic — it’s economic. If local residents don’t have money to spend or a reason to be in the centre, high streets suffer.

“It is possible to revive the fortunes of struggling high streets. But it will require local and national governments to start by fixing the economy — not just the shopfronts.”

Are you struggling to make ends meet as costs continue to rise? You can now send your stories to us online via YourWorld at yourworld.net/submit. It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.