The suprising UK city that's bucking depressing high street 'death'

Aberdeen had the highest complaint of store openings successful the UK (Image: Getty)

Aberdeen saw the highest emergence successful store openings crossed the UK implicit the past 5 years, defying concerns astir the decline of the precocious street.

There was an 82% summation successful caller shops successful the Scottish city, revealed by investigation of ONS information by fiscal services supplier SumUp.

Thanks to Aberdeen City Council's £1 cardinal Empty Shops Grant Scheme, astir 750 quadrate metres of vacant level abstraction has been renovated connected Union Street, Aberdeen's large buying parade. 

It gives anticipation aft information revealed 6,945 stores had closed crossed the UK since the commencement of the twelvemonth until 12 September 2024, with pharmacies, pubs and banks making up fractional of the closures. 

Aberdeen City Council concern and resources convener councillor Alex McLellan told SumUp: “We privation our metropolis to beryllium a thriving and charismatic spot to live, work, and sojourn and it’s bully to spot expanding numbers of retail businesses.”

Aberdeen is besides acceptable for a multi-million beachfront redevelopment (Image: Getty)

The concern aims to summation footfall, enactment caller concern start-ups and entrepreneurs, and make caller employment opportunities.

Speaking to the Express, 32-year-old Ms Dunn who has ever lived successful Aberdeen, said: "We emotion the shire (Aberdeenshire) - there's truthful galore astonishing places nether an hr distant with beauteous scenery, castles and cute shops oregon cafes.

"The buying centres are each wrong walking region of each different which is convenient."

Aberdeen City Council confirmed successful September determination volition beryllium a £50 cardinal programme to upgrade the formation into a "must-visit" destination. 

Often referred to arsenic the granite city, Aberdeen was besides named the cheapest spot to bargain a house successful the UK by Rightmove this year, with an mean location terms of £102,601. 

Milton Keynes had the 3rd highest summation successful the UK (Image: Getty)

Barking and Dagenham came 2nd successful the rankings, with an emergence successful store openings of 45.1%, intimately followed by Milton Keynes successful 3rd spot with a 36% increase. 

The UK cities starring precocious thoroughfare retail maturation implicit the past 5 years

1. Aberdeen City – 82.1%
2. Barking and Dagenham – 45.1%
3. Milton Keynes – 36%
4. Spelthorne – 35.9%
5. Blackburn with Darwen – 32.5%
6. Erewash – 31.4%
7. Buckinghamshire – 31.4%
8. Hackney – 30.5%
9. Mansfield – 30.4%
10. Stockport – 29.8%