Shop vacancies in the UK have risen to their highest level for more than six years after a raft of store closures caused by the coronavirus crisis, new figures show. Data from Springboard shows that 10.8 percent of shops stood empty in July, up from 9.8 percent in January, SKy News reports. Vacancies increased in most parts of the country with the biggest increase in Greater London, where they were up by two-thirds. The report said it reflected the "difficulties faced by large cities in attracting customers back". It said the overall vacancies rate of 10.8% was the highest since January 2014 "reflecting the widespread store closures announced by large retail and hospitality operators".

Source: The Standard September 03, 2020 08:48 UTC