Chester ranked top shopping destination in North West as city's high street bounces back

Chester has been ranked eighth-best shopping destination in the country and the top destination in the north of England according to a new list by a specialist retail analytics team.

Chester ’s historic high streets, unique rows and vibrant tapestry of businesses have fought off hundreds of competitors and ranked Chester as the eighth-best shopping destination in the country, going up against London giants such as Sloane Street, Knightsbridge and London West End.

The Vitality Rankings are created by Newmark’s Consultancy and Analytics team each year, using metrics that reflect the drivers of retail health at that time. These include retail unit vacancy rate, the change in vacancy rate, space being adapted for other uses, shopper spend per annum and footfall figures. These rankings have been released since 2014.

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Commenting on this achievement, the city’s MP, Samantha Dixon, said: “Here in Chester, we are lucky to have so many diverse businesses that make our highstreets a tapestry of culture, commerce and community.

“When I was first elected, I pledged to make Chester a top retail destination, so it is fantastic to see Chester ranked among the best in the country.

“Over the years, during my time as a councillor and now as the Member of Parliament, our local businesses and highstreets have always remained one of my top priorities. Having chaired the Northgate Member’s Working Group and through my work with the cross organisation High Street Sub Cell focused on supporting highstreets coming out of Covid, I know-very well the acute challenges facing our high streets.

“It is no secret that it remains a challenging climate for many retail and other local businesses, yet despite these challenges, businesses across Chester have shown impressive levels of resilience and have evolved to meet the needs of their local communities.

“Chester is truly a unique and historic shopping destination, and this news is truly a feather in the cap to all our amazing local businesses and everyone involved in making Chester a top retail destination."

Celebrating the news, Cllr Richard Beacham, Leader’s champion for the Chester One City Plan, added: “This announcement really shows the power of collaboration. Cheshire West and Chester Council, the Business Improvement District, the businesses, our arts organisations, visitor attractions, street performers and our community and faith organisations all pay a huge role in bringing people to Chester.

“In turn, this brings new businesses, and these bring new people. In a really difficult time for the UK high street, only the strongest cities will survive. I really believe that in Chester, if we all work together, we can continue to grow our economy, increase the number of people living and working in our city centre, and keep rising to the top of these independent indexes so that we keep attracting new and exciting people, businesses and experiences to be part of where we live."

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