A new campaign has been launched in an attempt to transform several Yorkshire towns and cities into booming retail destinations, amid concern over the impact of empty shops on the UK economy.
Business advisory firm Insight With Passion is leading the Town Centre Rejuvenation initiative, which aims to breathe new life into Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Doncaster, Hull, Rotherham, Bingley, Batley and Birstall from next year. According to the company, vacant retail outlets cost Britain £900m in lost wages every year.
“When we began to look at this issue, it was one that we wanted to make people consider from their own point of view,” senior partner Kate Hardcastle told the Yorkshire Post. “Empty shops don’t just blight an area, they hit us in the pocket. The time now is to say enough is enough.”
Ms Hardcastle rejected suggestions that consumers had lost interest in bricks-and-mortar shops in favour of online retail, and called on towns and cities around the UK to take more decisive action to enhance their shopping experience.
Earlier this week, the British Retail Consortium claimed that “urgent action” is required from the government to boost the UK retail sector and the wider economy.
