The number of shops on Yorkshire’s high streets fell last year – and Huddersfield was badly hit.
The town saw 19 fewer retailers operating in the centre.
Research by accountancy firm PwC for the Local Data Company showed that 424 shop premises closed in the region last year while 305 outlets opened. The net reduction of 119 shops is the fourth highest net change in the UK and significantly higher than the net reduction of eight shops logged for 2013.
The study of 500 town and city centres across Great Britain found that Huddersfield saw a net reduction of 19 stores – with 17 shop units opening and 36 closing – while Leeds was down by 14 and Doncaster had 15 fewer outlets. However, Barnsley bucked the trend with a small increase.
Nationally, the shutters came down on 5,839 high street stores while 4,852 opened for business. The changing make-up of town and city centre retailing in Yorkshire saw a decline in the number of mobile phone shops, pawnbrokers and cheque cashing shops, bakeries and women’s fashion stores – to be replaced by more tobacconists and e-cigarette sellers, financial advisers, convenience stores. estate agents and greeting card shops.
Toby Underwood, restructuring partner at PwC in Yorkshire, said: “Yorkshire’s high street continues its drastic overhaul in response to the advance of online sales and changing consumer demand – and this year’s numbers expose the harsh impact of ‘macro’ changes on the high street, especially in certain sub-sectors.
“The region benefited from the opening of Leeds Trinity in 2013 when the net difference was significantly less, but the hangover from this is now being felt as the gulf widens between the number of stores opening and those having to close.
“Despite the benign economy, the net loss of shops has accelerated. The insolvencies of Phones4U, Blockbuster, Albemarle & Bond and La Senza – a diverse cross-section of the retail market – epitomise these factors.”
But he said: “Despite the continuing problem of closures, new sub-sectors, such as discount shops and charity shops keep growing. The strength of the restaurant and fast-food sectors is also a fillip for the high street.”
Matthew Hopkinson, director of The Local Data Company, said the analysis showed shows the second most significant annual decline in chain retailers in UK town centres – a net loss of 987 stores versus the all-time high of 2012 when 1,779 units pulled down the shutters for the last time.
He said: “Our town centres continue to evolve away from traditional shops and services to leisure – food and beverage and entertainment. This is reflected by American and British restaurants featuring in the top 10 risers along with the impact of click and collect services showing a 20% growth in 2014.
“Change will continue and the area to watch in 2015 is the battle of the convenience and food store sector as supermarkets, the discounters and pound shops fight it out.”
