While we advise clients nationally, we also carry out a 6 monthly survey of around 800 retail premises in Bath, where we are based, to monitor the vacancy rate.
We were unable to complete our regular surveys during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2021, the number of vacant shops rose to 109, or 13.9% of all shops within the survey area. This is a large increase from the pre COVID-19 figure of 73 vacant shops, or 9.3%, which we recorded in February 2020.
However, in May 2022 the number of vacant shops fell to 76 or 9.68% of all shops in the survey area as a result of a number of retail lettings. A year later, in May 2023, the number of vacant shops was broadly similar at 78 or 9.94% of all shops.
