Category Archives: News Centre

Never go back. It’s a saying I think. And something everyone will have their own view of. 🤔 In #highstreet #placemaking and especially tackling vacancy, it’s always a good thing. To go back and see what’s changed and changing (and … Continue reading →

What type of businesses would you most like to see take on vacant units in your town centre…? 🤔 It’s a question we ask a lot on #TheVacantShopsAcademy commissions because it’s important. What would your residents ask for and support. … Continue reading →

🤔 So why – I was asked this week – are more places not working on reducing the number of empty shops they have…? Varying reasons. 💷 Preference for the ‘masterplanning’ route or focusing on a few ‘big ticket’ projects … Continue reading →

There’s a really striking #highstreet statistic in the latest update about Union Street, Aberdeen. 📉 It says that the headline vacancy number there which had empty units totalling in the mid-40s at the end of 2022 is now in the … Continue reading →

Could health & wellbeing be a new anchor for the #highstreet…? It’s one of our list of ‘alternative uses’ to add to #retail, #hospitality and services that we encourage #TheVacantShopsAcademy locations to target as part of their tackling vacancy ‘next … Continue reading →

Arts & crafts, creative, culture, community, leisure, education, health & wellbeing. 🔑 A list of ‘alternative uses’ that could occupy vacant #highstreet units alongside #retail, #hospitality, services and (hopefully more for upper floors) office or residential. All of them feature … Continue reading →

Three encouraging pieces of news this week from #highstreet locations we’re working with #TheVacantShopsAcademy. First from Aberdeen where the city council has “committed a further £500,000 to the Union Street Empty Shops Grant Scheme – bringing the total investment up … Continue reading →

Our approach to tackling #highstreet vacancy is to focus on each visibly empty unit in turn… 💷 Is the previous occupier in administration or still paying rent; 🪜 Is it a demolition or refurb project; 🎨 Could arts & crafts, … Continue reading →

💡 If you wander your #highstreet in the early evening dusk and stay on later, are there signs on your upper floors of office teams at work or of town or city centre living…? If not, is there un- and … Continue reading →