Vacancy rates stabilise in 2011 but north-south divide grows

That’s the message from the Local Data Company, whose latest shop vacancy report – entitled The Good, The Bad and The (Very) Ugly – revealed that although the three-fold increase in overall vacancy rates since 2007 has finally halted, in some centres – notably those in the north of England and Midlands – one in three shops stands vacant, while in others – mostly south of the Watford Gap – vacancies are at pre-recession levels. “The short and medium view is that this is unlikely to improve significantly due to the current economic climate, the rise of alternative sales channels and the number of shops the country has,” the report said.