Where Does Your Town Rank In Places Taken Over By Chain Stores?

For the first time in three years, independent stores on the high street have seen a decline and have found themselves being overtaken by large chains.

Ellenbrook in Hatfield is the town with the lowest percentage of independent stores in the whole of the UK, with just 16.9% privately owned.

The data has been collected by The Local Data Company (LDC) and British Independent Retailers Association, who show that Yate in Bristol coming second in the list, with just 19.2% stores being independent.

Cowley in Oxford completes the bottom three, with just under a quarter of independent shops surviving in an area dominated by chain stores.

On the other side of the scale, Portobello Road in London (below) tops the list of areas with the most independent shops, with a whopping 94.8%.

Second place is Goodmayes in Ilford, East London (above) at 93.5% while Conwy, Wales, (92.5%) comes in third.

Newsagents, pubs and women’s clothing shops are among those seeing the biggest declines.

Despite the fall of independent stores, e-cigarettes sellers and American restaurants have seen a surge in openings across the country.

Barber shops have also seen a big increase on high streets, with 118 opening, while 144 independent shops in total have been lost since 2012.

The same period in 2014 had seen an increase of 289 shops.

Chain retailers have also seen a decline, however, with 437 shops closing in the first half of this year.

Matthew Hopkinson, director at the Local Data Company, said: “The first half of 2015 has shown how fluid and challenging the retail environment is be you an independent or a chain retailer.

"Of significance is that independents, which account for 65 per cent of outlets nationally, have gone into decline for the first time since 2012.

"At the same time the chains have continued their retreat from high streets, which will, in part, have impacted the independent shops that were left behind through lower footfall and thus sales.”

He blamed government regulations, gold prices and the rise of eating out for the ever-changing face of UK high streets.

Michael Weedon, Deputy Chief Executive of the British Independent Retailers Association, added: "The number of openings of independents has remained fairly consistent since the crash at about 15,000 a year in this wide sample, indicating about 30,000 in the wider economy.

“But closures have been accelerating. This year they have caught up with and overtaken openings.

"The good times are no longer rolling.”

Bottom 5 Independent Towns

Ellenbrook, Hatfield 16.9%

Yate, Bristol 19.2%

Cowley, Oxford 22.7%

Bracknell 24.5%

Runcorn 25.4%

Top 5 Independent Towns

Portobello Road, London 94.8%

Goodmayes, Ilford 93.5%

Conwy 92.5%

Barry West 91.4%

Old Bexley 91.4%

Top 10 businesses opening

Tobacconists/e-cigarettes up 28.32%

Restaurant - American 19.18%

Mobile Phones 9.44%

Restaurant & Bar 6.71%

Health Clubs 4.99%

Barbers 4.73%

Nail Salons 4.19%

Hair & Beauty Salons 3.56%

Beauty Salons 2.28%

Cafe & Tearoom 1.20%

Top 10 businesses closing

Discount Store -6.28%

Confectioners -6.19%

Booksellers -5.36%

Clothes - Women -5.23%

Night Clubs -3.73%

Newsagents -3.65%

Restaurant - Indian -2.37%

Jewellers -2.10%

Public Houses & Inns -1.52%

Hairdressers -0.54%

Pics: Rex/Wikipedia/Flickr