Number of empty shops in UK at highest level for five years

Nearly 12% of retail sites were unoccupied in first half of 2019, data shows, with chains hit by rising costs and low consumer confidence

Britain's high streets, shopping centres and retail parks have been left with the highest number of empty outlets in five years as chains have taken a battering from rising costs and low consumer confidence.

Nearly 12% of shopping locations were empty in the first half of 2019, up 0.6% compared to the same period last year, according to research from Local Data Company's (LDC) review of 3,000 retail centres.

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