High Streets in London ‘are worst hit for closures’

London’s High Streets have been plagued by more closures than anywhere else in the country, as the number of empty shops, pubs and restaurants soared.

A net 268 stores vanished from the capital in the first six months of the year, industry figures showed on Friday. That’s a five-year high.

Central London was the worst hit, with 163 units disappearing, followed by Kingston-upon-Thames and Romford. Pubs and inns have seen the largest decline, accountant PwC and the Local Data Company said.

About 14 shops are closing every day, hurt by customers shopping more online and eating in.

The biggest casualties this year include the collapse of electrical goods seller Maplin as well as restaurant chains Jamie’s Italian and Prezzo which have shut stores.

"London rightly bears the distinction of being one of the world’s most attractive places to live and work. But with that label comes both opportunity and risk relating to those consumers increasingly seeking innovative ways to interact with their favoured retailers," said PwC's Lisa Hooker.

"The continued rate of store closures reflects the new reality that many Londoners prefer to shop online and increasingly eat, drink and entertain at home. The High Street is simply adapting to an overcapacity in retail and leisure space resulting from these channel shifts."