It is well known that the way people shop has changed which has had a huge impact on the high street. It has been well documented that shops that we would see on almost every high street in the country are disappearing. But retail landlords, as well as retailers, are having to consider how best to adapt to the changes and ensure their longevity in the market.
The majority of landlords are still likely to try to reconfigure their space to make it more attractive to a modern retail tenant mix but others are repurposing and converting large department stores to flexible working office space, residential units and, hopefully, one property in Edinburgh to a whiskey museum.
Hopefully the repurposing of vacant retail space will also have a positive impact on rejuvenating city centres.
75% of landlords are now considering some sort of repurposing project, with leisure, food and beverage, and residential the most popular alternative uses. Here are seven innovative UK projects and landlords that have sought to take retail space and turn it into something new.