By Ashlea Hickin,Joe Smith
Copyright cambridge-news
Many British high streets are in a sorry state, with competition from online retailers and shoppers tightening their belts leading to empty shopfronts and shuttered businesses in town centres across the country.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Some town centres are thriving and these vibrant areas are being celebrated thanks to new data collected in Newmark’s latest retail Vitality Rankings for 2025.
The university city of Cambridge topped the list, ranked as the UK’s best place for shops in 2025 as its affluent residents, student population and night-time economy helped the city retain the top spot as the most thriving retail hub in Britain.
Chelsea in London took second place, climbing up the rankings from 10th last time, thanks to its “aspirational” mix of shops, pubs and bars including high-end districts like Sloane Square.
Meanwhile, another London area, Kingston upon Thames came in third while Bath city centre secured fourth place followed by Bluewater shopping centre in Dartford, Wimbledon Village and Milton Keynes, reports the Mirror.
Completing the top ten were Knightsbridge in London, Leeds, and Westfield Stratford City. Other areas such as smaller cities Bath, Brighton and Edinburgh have continued to climb the rankings, researchers said, thanks to the wealthy customer base in those areas.
But the biggest increases in footfall this year came for larger cities and dedicated shopping centres saw the biggest increase in performance on the rankings this year.
Newmark noted that whilst more people were returning to offices, hybrid working arrangements continued to help retailers increase their revenues.
Customers, especially those visiting major cities or shopping centres, were embarking on larger shopping expeditions and spending more money, rather than conducting quick top-up purchases or simply browsing, the group explained.
However, not all areas experienced growth, with some regions witnessing decline. Cobham in Surrey dropped to 21st place, having tumbled from second position in the rankings a year ago.
Oxford city centre slipped from 14th to 20th place, whilst Harrogate declined from 17th to 25th place.
Will Chamberlain, associate director of new business at Newmark, explained that retailers were cutting back on the number of outlets in smaller locations with reduced footfall, concentrating their efforts on “prime high-footfall locations that deliver strong sales and maximise visibility”.
Chamberlain noted that delivering memorable and personalised in-store experiences remains another crucial priority for retailers determined to boost sales.
