• We now have 48 empty retail units in the City Centre
  
• The percentage of retail units empty in Exeter currently stands at 7.51%
  
• The Exeter percentage vacancy rate compares very favourably with the current national average running at around 12%
  
• There have been particularly significant reductions in vacancy rates in High Street (drop from 9 to 5 vacant units during the last quarter) and Sidwell Street (drop from 7 to 4 vacant units during the last quarter)

A breakdown of the number of vacant City Centre retail units is set out below…

The vacancy survey represents a snapshot of what’s happening in our City Centre. The August quarterly vacancy survey is encouraging against what remains a challenging national backdrop and there are good grounds for being optimistic about the coming quarter and beyond. We continue to see new names arriving in the city and existing stores seeking to expand. New names arriving since the last vacancy survey include Pasta Porto (in Fore Street and Sidwell Street), Greggs (in Sidwell Street and due to open in High Street shortly), Trailfinders (currently shopfitting their new unit in High Street), HUGG Frozen Yoghurt (in Princesshay) and TMC Supplements (in Sidwell Street). Jack Wills are currently shopfitting in the former Halifax Bank building at the junction of High Street and Broadgate – a significantly bigger unit than that which they currently occupy in Bedford Street.

Active discussions with agents and businesses looking at investing in the City Centre continue and I am very confident that we will see these active discussions being translated in to new store announcements over the coming weeks and months. The success story that is Exeter City Centre is set to continue…


John Harvey
City Centre Manager

5 August 2010