According to a report by the Local Data Company, the Isle of Wight fairs pretty well against the rest of the country with one of the lowest numbers of vacant shops.
Whilst counties in the North scored badly with high percentages of empty shops, the Isle of Wight was one of the lowest with only around eight per cent of shops closed between January 2010 and March 2011 not being reoccupied.
North-South divide
Matthew Hopkinson, director of the Local Data Company, said: “Our analysis shows a clear North-South divide, although London and the South East show the greatest ‘negative churn’.
“The analysis reveals that the withdrawal of multiple retailers from certain centres, and the failure of independent retailers to succeed in the face of a changing consumer, is happening right across the country.”
It’s very encouraging to see new shops popping up at a time when many are funding it difficult to survive, so do please try and support your local independent shops.
Image: Jon & Alison under CC BY 2.0
