The landscape of Britain's town centres has undergone a profound transformation over the past six years, with traditional shopping-led areas steadily giving way to vibrant hubs dominated by services, food, and leisure establishments. This significant shift reflects broader economic and social changes that have reshaped how communities interact with their local high streets.
A Dramatic Evolution in High Street Composition
From once-thriving department stores and discount shops to bookmakers and beauty salons, the fundamental makeup of Britain's high streets has changed dramatically since 2019. What was previously a retail-focused environment is now increasingly characterised by a diverse mix of service providers, dining options, and leisure facilities. However, the scale and specific nature of this transformation varies considerably from one location to another, creating unique local profiles across the country.
Economic Shocks Accelerating Change
The period from 2019 to 2025 has coincided with multiple significant shocks to the UK economy. Pandemic lockdowns severely disrupted footfall patterns and accelerated the already growing trend toward online retail. Additional pressures from Brexit complications, soaring energy bills, a sustained cost of living crisis, and national changes to wages and employer tax contributions have created challenging conditions for both independent businesses and established national chains.
What remains operational on Britain's high streets today – and what has disappeared – provides a revealing snapshot of how the nation shops, eats, and spends its leisure time in the mid-2020s. The changing business mix tells a story of adaptation and resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges.
Analysing Local High Street Transformations
Detailed examination of specific areas reveals fascinating patterns of change. For instance, in certain London locations, the relative vacancy rate stands at approximately 7%, compared to a national average of around 5%. This indicates that some areas are experiencing higher shares of empty shop units than the country as a whole.
Category Shifts Across Business Types
The data reveals significant variations in business category representation compared to national averages:
- Personal, consumer and other services show notable differences, with some areas registering 3% compared to an 11% national average
- Clothing and accessory businesses demonstrate reversed patterns, with 8% in specific localities versus 4% nationally
- Household, office, leisure and garden businesses appear at 2% locally compared to 6% on average
- Food, drink and multi-item retail businesses show 3% locally against 6% nationally
- Tourism businesses register 2% in some areas versus 0% nationally
- Eating and drinking establishments remain remarkably consistent at 16-17% both locally and nationally
- Health practitioners and establishments show minor variation at 2% locally versus 3% nationally
Rising and Declining Business Types
The transformation becomes particularly clear when examining specific business categories that have experienced growth or decline since 2019.
Businesses on the Rise
Several categories have shown remarkable growth:
- Restaurants have increased by approximately 41%, from 766 to 1078 establishments
- Cafes, snack bars and tea rooms have grown by about 14%, from 469 to 535
- Pubs, bars and inns have expanded by roughly 16%, from 381 to 443
- Barbers and hairdressers have increased by approximately 13%, from 303 to 342
- Gymnasiums, sports halls and leisure centres have grown by about 19%, from 43 to 51
- Tattooing and piercing services have surged by approximately 60%, from 10 to 16
Businesses in Decline
Conversely, several traditional high street staples have diminished:
- Cash machines have decreased by approximately 31%, from 136 to 94
- Banks and building societies have declined by about 20%, from 115 to 92
- Nightclubs have reduced by roughly 20%, from 56 to 45
- Books and maps retailers have decreased by approximately 20%, from 46 to 37
- Optometrists and opticians have declined by about 20%, from 46 to 37
- Chemists and pharmacies have reduced by roughly 10%, from 41 to 37
The Restaurant Versus Retail Dynamic
The most significant change across Britain's high streets represents a fundamental shift away from traditional retailers like clothing shops and toward eating and drinking establishments such as restaurants and cafes. In specific areas, accommodation, eating and drinking businesses now constitute approximately 51% of total businesses, up from 45% in 2019. Meanwhile, retail businesses have declined from about 55% to 49% during the same period.
This rebalancing reflects changing consumer preferences and the evolving role of high streets as social and experiential destinations rather than purely transactional shopping locations. The total number of businesses recorded in these categories has increased from approximately 4606 in 2019 to around 4971 in 2025, suggesting that while the mix has changed, overall business density has grown.
Understanding the Data Methodology
The analysis draws on high street boundaries from Retail Centre Boundaries and Open Indicators data published by the Geographic Data Service. Business numbers and types for both 2019 and 2025 were sourced from the PointX dataset published by Landmark Information Group and distributed by Ordnance Survey.
It's important to note that this data does not cover Northern Ireland, meaning the analysis applies specifically to Great Britain. Vacancy rates were estimated by comparing current business numbers with maximum recorded levels between 2016 and 2025. Certain business categories, such as vape shops, required additional analysis based on business names, meaning some establishments might be categorised differently depending on their specific naming conventions and product ranges.
This comprehensive data picture reveals not just how Britain's high streets have changed, but potentially where they might be heading as consumer habits continue to evolve in response to economic pressures and changing lifestyle preferences.
