Author Archives: Iain Nicholson

Which brands do you most want to see taking up empty units in your town or city centre… …and importantly, are you working, as a team, to try recruit them…? Typically there are a number of ways places develop their … Continue reading →

Two more brands published on Friday a list of locations they’d like to open up in. One listed 19 locations plus another 20 inside the M25. The other featured 22 UK possibles plus 17 more in Central or Greater London. … Continue reading →

“It just feels like a really important time to be having these positive but also very practical conversations about our high streets.” So, reflecting on another insightful, inspiring, heartening day with HighStreetPositives LIVE. Hosting a three-hour event with 8 panellists, … Continue reading →

“Pop-up shops could play a bigger part in our evolving highstreet…” Every town centre tackling vacancy project I worked on before setting up The Vacant Shops Academy featured a pop-up shop, at least one. Wantage, our first project, where the … Continue reading →

We need to fix this issue… On average more than half of visibly vacant highstreet units don’t have an agent involved in try to get them let. Do you know what the figure is in your town or city centre…? … Continue reading →

Getting empty shops back in use can boost ‘Pride in Place’ AND drive economic growth. As tackling highstreet vacancy is the focus of our work with 45 UK locations now, we’re used to thinking that having too many empty units … Continue reading →

“The number of empty town centre units reduced from 23 to 3 in 18 months.” A special day to be back in the town where our tackling highstreet vacancy journey started and to meet some of the business owners and … Continue reading →

It was great to meet another wife and husband team who are part of the growing group of new independents opening up in town and city centres we’re supporting on tackling highstreet vacancy… Our lead image is Bea and Adrian … Continue reading →