In 2019 it came tenth. In 2021 it came 5th. And now, in 2022, Marlborough is ranked as Britain’s second best location for shopping out of 1,000 retail centres across the country according to Harper Dennis Hobbs’ (HDH) annual Vitality Rankings report.
“Great, that’s really good for Marlborough” said Town Clerk, Richard Spencer-Williams.
The HDH Vitality Ranking determines the health of high streets and shopping centres by analysing a number of factors, including vacancy rates, resident’s movement and suitability to local consumer demands.
Andy Metherell, head of retail consultancy at HDH, explained, “The latest HDH Vitality Ranking reflects the realities that consumers and occupiers have had to face over the past year, and that continues into 2022. The Delta variant’s effect on public health and the uncertainty around the impact of the Omicron variant resulted in the continuation of restrictions on consumer movement and occupier trading, leading to our rankings being comparable to the listing in 2021.”
Small commuter towns, often with significant levels of wealth, retained their higher rankings this year, as remote working led to more localised consumer spending. Some larger centres rose in the ranking from 2021, many of which benefited from a significant increase in domestic tourism.
London commuter towns continue to dominate the top 25. Apart from Marlborough, that is. However, as COVID-19 restrictions have eased, city centres have seen their fortunes improve.
Very good news for Marlborough, where vacancy rates have been kept low, and unlike many other retail centres empty retail sites don’t stay empty for very long.
The complete report can be downloaded here, but registration will be required.
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