Empty shops to reach 15%

July 23, 2009 · Filed Under Nairn, shopping 

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Nairn High Street

According to a report at the BBC, the British Retail Consortium is expecting that 15% of shop premises will be empty by the end of the year:

Empty shop premises ‘to hit 15%’

About 15% of High Street shops will be empty by the end of 2009, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has predicted.

This would be more than double the 7% of stores which were vacant at the start of the year.

And the BRC said some areas had already seen up to 40% of shop space empty, amid the slump in consumer confidence.

We’ve already seen Woolworths close down, and banks haven’t even begun to close branches after buy-outs and mergers over the past year.

What’s interesting is seeing how Nairn copes with it – Nairn High St is already under pressure from out of town developments at nearby towns, and while we’ve seen some shops close, we’ve seen others open in their stead.

While Nairn’s small size may make it particularly vulnerable, I’m wondering if that may turn out to be an advantage – a short single road where most of the main retail outlets are means limited availability, and maximum exposure to existing shoppers.

This is opposed to other towns where the shops can tend to sprawl around in a maze-like manner – looking for a shop in Nairn, it’s probably on the High Street, looking for one in Inverness, and it’s probably round one side street or another.

It will be interesting to see how events continue to develop, though – we are suffering the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression – and yet even two years into this, Nairn’s shops still remain open for the most part.

A sign of hope for the future?

Comments

5 Responses to “Empty shops to reach 15%”

  1. Cathy on July 23rd, 2009 3:28 pm

    Hope for the future is part of the human condition, but to turn dreams and hopes into reality the community has to identify common realistic goals and then work together to realise those goals.

    We have the Highland wide plan process fast approaching; the community needs to work and fast if they do not wish to find the aspirations of others imposed on them.

  2. David Macarthur on July 31st, 2009 10:13 am

    It really does worry me that there are so many shop that open up in Nairn and then have no demand.

    Do you think sushi would have any demand in Nairn?
    Closest place is Aberdeen unless you get the pre packed stuff from Tesco or cook it yourself.

  3. Anne on July 31st, 2009 11:32 am

    I doubt if there have ever been so FEW empty shops in Nairn for many years! Yes, Woolies is a big gap but full marks to Wildday for taking it on for a short while.
    SUSHI? oh, you’re joking, sorry. It doesn’t take that many shoppers to make a difference to small shops David, instead of disappearing out of town to Tesco, keep it local if you’re so worried about them!

  4. David MacArthur on July 31st, 2009 3:14 pm

    “Keep it local” So tell me how you keep making Sushi local?

    Use local fish? Local rice? What about local Nori Seaweed or soybean paper? Local Wasabi? Local Gari?

    I’ll be waiting for “Well get them from local supermarkets” fish is a fair shout. I usually buy fish and try to get the ones caught in the Nairn.

    None of the rest can be bought in Nairn. Besides that it takes a considerable amount of skill to make good sushi.
    It’s not just something you pic up a recipe and learn.

  5. nairnbairn on July 31st, 2009 10:08 pm

    There’s something rather odd in a discussion about how to make sushi “local” to Nairn. It’s a bit like debating whether the Japanese can make real whisky…and about as useful.

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