More than one in eight shops are in limbo after temporarily closing for the first lockdown in March and failing to reopen, according to a report.
A total of 5,552 shops remain closed with little clarity over their future, underlining the uncertainty facing the retail industry, an analysis by the Local Data Company and the accountancy firm PWC found.
These “frozen” shops amount to 888 acres of property across high streets, retail parks, shopping centres and other locations such as railway stations.
The analysis looked at shops across Britain occupied by retailers with more than five outlets nationally. There are 43,766 of these shops, meaning that 12.7 per cent are in limbo. A total of 36,209 of the shops reopened after the lockdown, whereas more
