The city centre has lost 18% of its shops in five years. Are high business rates and online shopping to blame?“Look at it, everything’s leaving,” says Linda Shaw, nodding at a “to let” sign outside the branch of Next on Sheffield’s Fargate. It’s hard to argue with her. Once at the heart of the steel city, the shopping road is now pocked with vacant shops. Soon H&M will follow Next in relocating outside the city centre.For residents like Shaw, 70, the deserted feeling is enough to give up shopping here altogether. “The only reason I bother to come into Sheffield now is to go to the bank because they’ve closed so many outside of town,” she says. Continue reading…
Via: 'Everything’s leaving': can Sheffield's high street survive?
Categories: English News