English and Welsh town centres have lost 8% of their shops on average since 2013, according to a Guardian analysis of Ordnance Survey data. The average toll equates to at least 40 shops closing per town centre, with some major destinations such as Stoke-on-Trent and Blackpool shuttering two out of 10 sites over the past five years.
Stoke-on-Trent saw the starkest decline, losing 23% of its 415 stores. Seaside towns Eastbourne and Blackpool recorded the second and third largest reductions, with around a fifth of stores lost. Major cities like Southampton and Sheffield were also among the worst affected. Of the 88 town centres analysed, 82 saw store numbers fall.
Clothing retailers suffered the biggest decline, with more than 750 shops lost, affecting the 383,000 people employed in British clothing and footwear stores, nearly three-quarters of whom are women. Conversely, hair and beauty salons increased by over 1,000, with Brighton and Hove gaining more than 40. Specialist vaping and tobacco shops surged from around 38 to 340, an almost 800% increase.
The shift reflects changing consumer habits, with goods retailers struggling against online competition. Restaurants also faced difficulties, with high-profile casualties like Jamie Oliver's chain closing a dozen locations. Pubs and bars grew in city centres with large student populations, such as Liverpool, Manchester, and Leeds.
The 2018 Christmas period saw the largest ever share of retail sales go online, with more than one in five pounds spent online in November and December. Amazon's Cyber Monday was described as the biggest shopping day in its 24-year history. Major retailers including Poundworld, Maplin, Toys R Us, and HMV collapsed or were sold off, highlighting the ongoing pressures on the high street.
