‘Town centre just isn’t

SHOPS CLOSE DOWN AS RETAIL SECTOR FEELS THE IMPACT OF COVID PANDEMIC

IN the past 18 months, Britain’s high streets have taken a serious beating and Huddersfield town centre is no exception.

Once a thriving hub of household names and iconic fixtures, many of the much loved stores that had previously dotted the town’s streets were wiped out in an instant during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite the retail casualties, some shops were able to reopen, with business slowly trickling back to normal.

Yet there are still signs showing that the high street may be struggling and might never return to its former glory.

“Businesses come and go, but it is disheartening to see some long standing shops vanish from the high street,” said Marilyn Taylor, a resident from Honley.

“I still remember taking my granddaughter to get her school shoes fitted at Shaw and Hallas more than twenty years ago and in the last few weeks even that’s gone.”

The iconic shoe store Shaw and Hallas closed last month after trading in Huddersfield for a staggering 157 years.

It isn’t the only high-street casualty to have fallen in recent months either, with household staples such as Principal Uniforms and much loved spots such as Patisserie Valerie and The People’s Meeple also closing their doors to customers. In a recent walk around Huddersfield town centre, the Examiner counted more than a dozen empty shop fronts in previously bustling areas.

We did however also see signs of regeneration as work was underway on a further two, signalling a new lease of life and new businesses coming to the area. “I don’t think the problem is empty shops so much as the ones that are here are all

It is disheartening to see some long-standing shops vanish from the high street

the same,” said Richard Wilson.

“It’s getting to the point where every town centre across the country is the same. The little gems that make places unique, the boutiques, the craft shops, the shops that cater to special interests, they’re all getting harder to find. We’ve lost some of our identity.”

A similar point was also raised by Emma Stocks from Dalton.

“Huddersfield town centre isn’t bad exactly, it just isn’t what it used to be. There’s nothing that really stands out. It’s card shops, bakeries, charity shops, hairdressers - which are great, but I don’t need ten of them.

“Being so close to Leeds and to Manchester it’s hard to think of a reason to stay and shop here. There’s a bigger choice elsewhere.”

Foot traffic within Huddersfield had already been dwindling prior to the pandemic, but increasing numbers of consumers have also been turning to online stores in order to find the best bargains and to stay safe.

“I’ve seen the high street change a lot, a lot of people are going online, turning to online shopping and it’s ruining businesses,” said Mirfield resident Jane Broadhead.

“I think it’s going to be very hard to bring people back, to be honest with you. I think a lot of the businesses probably won’t even get recovered now. I think it’s just gone too far, which is a real shame.”

Not all shoppers we spoke to were quite so bleak in their outlook. One young visitor to the town argued it was actually a really great opportunity to foster some positive change.

They said: “There’s a lot of empty units around but that also means there’s a massive amount of potential. It doesn’t have to be the death knell for the high street. It could be a great opportunity to welcome something new and different. We’ve got so much potential, so much local talent, so why not encourage it?”