More bad news for high street
Glasgow and its surrounding areas are losing shops faster than any other part of the country.
Following last week’s Reformer page one on the looming closure of James Coull’s bakers in Rutherglen, Farme Cross and Cambuslang, the Local Data Company figures from 2017 on the state of high streets are a further cause for concern.
Scotland is still losing shops faster than any other part of Britain.
A total of 290 high street stores were closed across Scotland in 2017, a rate of 5.5 per week.
Glasgow had the highest overall number of stores lost, with a net drop of 4.5 per cent, 53 more shops closing than opening, followed by Edinburgh on 29 and Aberdeen on 16.
Clothes shops led the closure list, followed by travel agents, banks and shoe shops.
Food outlets had the highest increases in net store numbers, led by an increase in Chinese takeaways of 50 per cent and cafes and tearooms by 28.6 per cent.
PwC, which commissioned the UK-wide report, said no town had been “immune to the trend of high street loss”.
Cambuslang Community Council secretary John Bachtler said: “The PWC report demonstrates that the problems facing Cambuslang Main Street are part of a nationwide trend of shops closing faster than new ones are opening, particularly because of changing shopping patterns.
“The business survey conducted by Cambuslang Community Council last year showed that the vacancy rate on the Main Street was higher than the national average, and that many shops have faced a decline in trade and income over the past three years.
“This is why Cambuslang Community Council decided to set up Cambuslang Future to develop an action plan for the regeneration of the Main Street.
“As priorities we have been pressing for a change in the parking regime and more parking available for shoppers.
“We are also putting forward ideas to improve the streetscape – doing something about the uneven pavement, poor maintenance of street furniture and overflowing waste bins.
“We will also be looking at ways to improve the commercial viability of the town centre and, ultimately, to redesign the layout of the Main Street to create a town centre which can be a source of civic pride rather than an embarrassment.
“South Lanarkshire Council plays a critical role in getting any action plan off the ground, and we are pleased that our elected members are fully behind our efforts and SLC officials have also shown their willingness to work with us.”
Scottish Retail Consortium director David Lonsdale said the report figures demonstrated “just how challenging and volatile times are just now for Scotland’s retail industry.”