The UK city full of abandoned shops now opening 115 independents in £470m comeback

The UK high street has endured a slow decline in recent years, with a decrease in footfall causing an increase in empty shop units up and down the country. More people are shopping online than ever before, and businesses are feeling the impact.

According to the Centre for Cities, a national think tank, Sheffield has the highest number of empty shops and the lowest visitor spend of all large UK cities outside London. However, the city has been injected with £470 million in funding over recent years, sparking hope for a brighter future.

"Sheffield has had a lot of funding and regeneration over the last 10 years which is coming to fruition now," Diane Jarvis, head of business operations at Sheffield BID, tells the Express. "Footfall is good but can be better. We are cautiously optimistic about the future."

There are currently close to 500 retail units in Sheffield City Centre, as well as 116 market stalls. However, the Centre for Cities revealed in July that 12.9% of units are vacant in the city, including hospitality and leisure sites.

Like many other city centres across the UK, the Covid-19 pandemic was particularly damaging to the Steel City. A report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that 1,970 businesses shut in Sheffield during the first nine months of 2022.

However, according to Ms Jarvis, the situation is improving with 115 new indepdendent businesses opening in the city centre since January 2024. A total of 34 sites have also shut in that time.

Sheffield is often compared to neighbouring cities Leeds and Manchester. However, Brett Scott, who owns The Blind Mole alongside his wife Vicki, says Sheffield is a "great city" and should be proud to go it alone.

"Sheffield is a great city to live in, but sometimes I think the council try and make us like a Leeds or a Manchester, which we're not," the 50-year-old says. "We're surrounded by the Peak District and we should be singing that from the rooftops."

He added: "Make it a city that thrives on what's around it. We should have a lot of independent shops that people can be proud of. We should just focus on ourselves, but that doesn't seem to be happening."

The Blind Mole, an antiques shop, originally opened in the Kelham Island area of Sheffield. The fashionable neighbourhood is known for its trendy independent bars, restaurants and street art.

However, Brett says that "businesses around us were closing" during their three-year stay in the area. This forced them to move the business entirely online.

"We were there for three years, and while we were there, all the retail premises around us were closing," Brett explains. "Even a few of the bars had to close, and some just opened at the weekends. We then became a retail business in an area where it was only busy on a Friday or Saturday night."

He adds: "It didn't work for an antique business. Our shop was looking lovely but most of our business was online so that's the way we went."

The situation is now looking rosier, with The Blind Mole recently investing "thousands of pounds" into a new showroom. They held their first open day last month, which helped showcase their products.

"If we're struggling as a business, we just try and work harder and put more hours in. It's that simple," adds Brett.

The Blind Mole isn't the only business in Sheffield that operates mostly online. Balqees Shop, which specialises in different types of raw honey, has been selling from a small retail site in the Botanical Gardens for just over two years, but now sells most of its products online.

"There's a growing trend of people shopping online, and it's no different for businesses here," says owner Salem Hamed. "You don't have the overheads which for a small business can be a real headache.

"I think it's hard for businesses all over the city at the moment. Business rates and wages are going up. It's not easy, and no wonder they're closing."

Salem, 27, has noticed improvements in Sheffield city centre over recent years. However, he believes there are still too many barriers preventing businesses from opening.

"I've seen some improvements walking around in the last year or so. But there are some derelict areas with empty shops," he says. "When you see the likes of Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool, there's a big difference. We deserve to have a good city centre like theirs.

"A lot of us (businesses) have to take a risk to open, so barriers like increased business rates don't help. A lot of businesses here fail early."

He adds: "I'd ask the council to try and remove the barriers to encourage businesses to open. Other city centres are so vibrant with loads of independent shops.

"You've got different people from different backgrounds launching their ventures - it's exciting. And they're more successful than in Sheffield."

When comparing Sheffield with its neighbours, Ms Jarvis says: "People always draw comparisons, but there's no way we can compete with those massive cities and economies.

"We've got to find our own way through. We're trying to focus more on food and drink offerings to make the city a great weekend away or day out."

She continues: "It's not just about coming in to the shops. We've moved beyond just buying products but it's the whole visitor experience now. By bringing in different venues, you're diversifying the demographic of your customer base which will benefit the city.

"Most shops close at 4pm or 5pm, but we want venues that stay open in the early evening and into the night. It helps to keep the city centre more vibrant."

The Cambridge Street Collective, located in Backfields in the city centre, was awarded UK Food Hall of the Year in 2024. It is reportedly Europe's largest purpose-built food hall and is open throughout the week.

Stuart McAdie, who owns The Alternative Store, agrees with Ms Jarvis that Sheffield is becoming an increasingly popular city for tourists to visit. He says: "It's almost like we were hidden in plain sight."

"I feel like we never used to get any tourists, compared to the bigger cities. But we are starting to get tourists now who come for a weekend away," Stuart, who has been running the clothing store for over 30 years, adds. "They're coming for Sheffield which didn't happen before.

"Everyone is shocked about how amazing it is. It's a very friendly and beautiful city which people dont expect."

The Alternative Store is located on Devonshire Street, which Stuart points out is believed to have the second most independent stores of any street in the UK. While business has not been easy over the years, Stuart believes his city is improving.

"Its not easy though, don't get me wrong. Retail here is very hard," he explains. "Less people are shopping now and their spending power is way down. The cost of living crisis is hurting everybody which has an impact.

"It feels like Sheffield city centre never got developed like other places. But they are starting to do stuff now, which is great. There's more regeneration, and people have to look long term and accept it won't happen overnight."

He adds: "It's dead easy to be negative, we have to look for the positives. It's been a rollercoaster journey. I feel like Sheffield is on the up, though."