The latest report by the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) and LDC looks at the general health and emerging trends in retail across Welsh towns and cities in 2017. The report is presented in four sections focusing in turn on retail premises (and associated leisure sector), retail vacancy, retail structure and the relationship with socio-economic characteristics and geographical typology.
One of the main takeaways of the report is the drop in retail vacancy rate in cities and towns over the past 12 months probably reflecting new build premises in developments such as Friars Walk becoming occupied and leisure becoming more prominent.
Chris Fowler, Relationship Manager at LDC, commented: "Welsh towns continue to see a shift away from comparison goods retail shops towards leisure (food, beverage and entertainment) and services – reflecting the wider trend seen in England and Scotland as town centres evolve. We saw last year that Booze, Money and Gambling (BMG) outlets are not taking over, as many were led to believe, and this index has remained generally constant in the last 12 months, although each town has its unique quirks and this index remains a useful barometer for many."
We've produced an infographic which explores some of the key findings from our recent Welsh report here: