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High street closures turn once thriving shopping destination into 'tumbleweed town'
Huddersfield's town centre, which used to be a thriving den of commerce, has been blighted by closing stores and dereliction - in scenes all too common across Britain
A once thriving shopping district has been blighted with empty units and dereliction in pictures that have become all too common across Britain. On a depressing walk across Huddersfield's main shopping thoroughfare, one can count 12 empty units.
And the closures keep on coming as high street mainstays like BrewDog and Slug and Lettuce are set to shutter for good in the near future. The Medicare Health Check Centre in Kingsgate Shopping Centre is also set to shut – adding to the complex's vacant units.
The last bargain bucket is set to be served at the New Street KFC in a few days and the future is uncertain for Magic Rock Brewing Co. The pedestrianised section of New Street has no fewer than 12 empty units, many of which are advertising "to let" signs.
Views by locals on the future of the town are mixed. One commenter told YorkshireLive: "Huddersfield is becoming a tumbleweed town with poor political leadership, a loss of confidence by retailers with no encouragement to motorists to come into town with difficult access and limited parking and rampant crime.
But another said: "I go to the town centre a couple of times a week. Yes, it's not perfect but neither is it a no-go area, nor deserted. I spend a few pounds each time I go, be it a book, some groceries, a snack or a lunch."
The slow death of the high street is not limited to Huddersfield as many major franchises are shutting down shops due to the rise of online shopping and out of town retail parks popping up. The latest figures from the Centre for Retail Research show that 13,479 stores closed their doors in 2024.
Several major stores are expected to shut this month, as city centres across the UK change face, with store closures increasing yearly. And about 6 in 10 adults are “spending less on non-essentials because of cost of living” - according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (from January 2024).
However, there is research that suggests the high street isn't dying – it's just undergoing a transformation. Experts are predicting an exciting year ahead for physical retail as big transformations are coming, SumUp reports.
Ambitious projects, such as the proposed £150 million pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, show a renewed investment in shopping districts.
Experts predict that branded coffee shops will surpass 10,500 sites in the UK this year, showing that shoppers still crave physical locations.
Daily Star Sunday
Huddersfield's town centre, which used to be a thriving den of commerce, has been blighted by closing stores and dereliction - in scenes all too common across Britain
A once thriving shopping district has been blighted with empty units and dereliction in pictures that have become all too common across Britain. On a depressing walk across Huddersfield's main shopping thoroughfare, one can count 12 empty units.
And the closures keep on coming as high street mainstays like BrewDog and Slug and Lettuce are set to shutter for good in the near future. The Medicare Health Check Centre in Kingsgate Shopping Centre is also set to shut – adding to the complex's vacant units.
The last bargain bucket is set to be served at the New Street KFC in a few days and the future is uncertain for Magic Rock Brewing Co. The pedestrianised section of New Street has no fewer than 12 empty units, many of which are advertising "to let" signs.
Views by locals on the future of the town are mixed. One commenter told YorkshireLive: "Huddersfield is becoming a tumbleweed town with poor political leadership, a loss of confidence by retailers with no encouragement to motorists to come into town with difficult access and limited parking and rampant crime.
But another said: "I go to the town centre a couple of times a week. Yes, it's not perfect but neither is it a no-go area, nor deserted. I spend a few pounds each time I go, be it a book, some groceries, a snack or a lunch."
The slow death of the high street is not limited to Huddersfield as many major franchises are shutting down shops due to the rise of online shopping and out of town retail parks popping up. The latest figures from the Centre for Retail Research show that 13,479 stores closed their doors in 2024.
Several major stores are expected to shut this month, as city centres across the UK change face, with store closures increasing yearly. And about 6 in 10 adults are “spending less on non-essentials because of cost of living” - according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (from January 2024).
However, there is research that suggests the high street isn't dying – it's just undergoing a transformation. Experts are predicting an exciting year ahead for physical retail as big transformations are coming, SumUp reports.
Ambitious projects, such as the proposed £150 million pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, show a renewed investment in shopping districts.
Experts predict that branded coffee shops will surpass 10,500 sites in the UK this year, showing that shoppers still crave physical locations.
Daily Star Sunday