Newport city centre shops - one in three sit empty in 2023

The headline figure is that more than 1 in 3 retail units on this stretch between The Carpenters Arms on High Street and St Paul's Church on Commercial Street are closed, shuttered, or plastered in old leaflets and newspapers.

We tallied 140 units in normal working hours between September 15 and 19 and did not include businesses in Newport Market or Market Arcade.

There are 25 spots to grab a bite to eat, from packaged confectionery at Poundstretcher to fresh cuts at John’s Meat Market. The Tom Toya Lewis on Commercial Street, meanwhile, cuts a sorry figure five years after JD Wetherspoon put it on the market.

There are 16 health or cosmetic shops, ranging from national retailer Boots, to nail salons, which seems to be one high street service in healthy demand.

The eight charity shops, representing charities such as Tenovus Cancer Care, British Heart Foundation and St David’s Hospice Care, mean there are more places to buy clothes second-hand than first-hand in this strip.

David and Joanne Price, 65 and 60, both of Newport, say they despair at the state of the city centre when they compare it to the likes of Cardiff and Cwmbran.

"There used to be so many lovely clothes shops for women," said Mrs Price. "I miss Debenhams."

Mr Price added: "It's just so depressing, it's not worth coming here. We often say we should go on the train to Cardiff."

Despite the transition to online banking, many of the UK's biggest institutions, including Lloyd's Bank, Santander and Nationwide, are represented in this city strip.

Diane West, 76, of Newport, says she visits the city centre "very rarely", only if she needs to use the bank or Boots pharmacy.

"There's nothing to come here for - everything is out of town, which is OK if you can drive, but lots of people can't get there. Not everyone can bank online, or maybe they don't want to bank online. I'm lucky that I can," said Ms West.

"We lived in Rogerstone 50 years ago. Newport had all the nice shops. The difference now is awful. The only thing I can say is that I don't think it's very different to other cities."

We counted six vape retailers - including GG Vape #2, at the end of Commercial Street, which fears it may have to close just months after opening if the Welsh Government gets its wish for a ban on single-use disposable vapes.

There are seven places to buy tech like smart phones, cases and video games, and only two where punters can put a pound on a pony.

‘The council is taking action wherever possible’

Newport City Council "does not underestimate" the challenges that face retailers, as in other UK cities, a spokesperson has said.

"There is strong evidence that to ensure the long-term success of city and town centres, there must be a balance of leisure, residential, hospitality, business and retail," they said.

"Projects such as a new leisure facility, flexible office and development spaces, modern living and independent shopping will help cultivate this healthy mix in Newport.

"We have been delighted to see a number of new independent businesses opening up to join some of our established and well-loved traders.

“A good proportion of empty units are owned by absent or disengaged landlords but the council is taking action wherever possible to make them take responsibility for taking proper care of their buildings and bringing them back to beneficial use."

The council point towards the "high-profile" projects in recent years, including the regeneration of Newport Market and Market Arcade, and the financial support they offer businesses through grants and additional non-domestic rates relief.

“It also organises or supports a number of events which boost footfall," the spokesperson said.

‘Change to survive’

A spokesperson for Newport Now Business Improvement District (BID) has said city centres across the UK are facing the same challenges in sustaining their traditional roles as retail destinations.

“Changes in shopping habits such as the rise in out-of-town and online shopping, the latter accelerated significantly during and since the Covid pandemic, mean high streets that relied for many decades on the retail monoculture have to change to survive,” they said.

“In general, the age of the department store has gone along with people coming into city and town centres just to shop. The quicker we accept that as a fact and look towards different solutions for the future, the better.

“The future for city centres is as experience destinations. That means combining retail, leisure, hospitality, residential and cultural offers to provide something different; something that cannot be purchased online.”

BID has long advocated for the replacement of longstanding empty commercial space with an urban park, as well as additions such as GP and dental surgeries to support the growing number of people who live around the city centre.

“There are, of course, significant issues such as rough sleeping, aggressive begging, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour and – while these are faced by traditional high streets across the UK – we want to see them tackled properly in Newport with appropriate enforcement action.”

BID notes that Newport is one of the few cities in the UK where city centre footfall has, in recent months, bettered pre-Covid levels.