Positive News on Vacancy Rates!

We are very pleased to report that Ripon’s High Street vacancy rate remained at 8% in March 2025

This is down significantly from 14% in March 2024. We have seen some long term empty units filled over period with the arrival of Edinburgh Woollen Mill, the expansion of Marks and Spencer and the imminent arrival of Next. However, it is the arrival of new, or growth of long standing independents, that really make Ripon special. This year we welcomed Alistair W Baldwin (with a fantastic transformation of a unit), Platinum Beauty, Hello Gorgeous, Pearl Beauty, Hallicustom and Three Blind Mice to name just a few.

Ripon’s vacancy rate compares favourably with national and regional trends – according to Savills October 2024 Spotlight report for Q3 2024 where vacancy rates stood at 17.6% nationally and Ian Harvey SFIPM FRSA‘s report from the High Street Rental Auctions Showcase event in November 2024 where rates in the North East stood at nearly 18%.

We are also fortunate in that the majority of our vacant units are smaller units around 500-900 sq ft with only a small portion over 1000 sq ft in the city centre. We are touch with national retailers and agents where appropriate and our doors are always open to people and businesses looking for premises in our wonderful city.