Up to 18,000 UK high street premises could be vacant amid Covid crisis

Closures would leave 14% of high street, retail park and shopping centre outlets empty in Britain

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Another 18,000 high street premises could be left empty in 2020, almost double the number in 2019, as the coronavirus pandemic hammers retailers, restaurants and leisure businesses.

AsEngland prepares to enter a month-long second high street lockdown from Thursday, analysts at the Local Data Company warned vast numbers" of leisure and hospitality businesses could close up for good.