One man told Belfast Live that the ease of online shopping is why some may not come into town
After another blow to our high street this week with the news of store closures across River Island and Claire’s, the people of Belfast have had their say on the future of local shopping.
In November 2023, approximately a third (33.4%) of non-domestic properties in Belfast City Centre were vacant, with 1,845 unoccupied premises out of a total of 5,518. The overall number of vacant nondomestic properties in the city centre has increased over the last three years (1,858 to 1,991).
We took to the streets of Belfast this week to hear what members of the public had to say about the future of our high street.
READ MORE: Full list of River Island stores closing including two in Northern IrelandREAD MORE: Mapped: See if there’s a Claire’s branch at risk near you after the fashion chain called in the administrators
Phelim, 19, believes the reason for such a decline in the high street is down to the major online stores, which allow for instant and hassle free purchasing.
He said: “It’s because of [places] like Amazon. They are able to out buy and sell at lower prices that small business can’t afford to. It’s down to the ease and comfort of online shopping that started over the pandemic.
“With rising costs and no effort or people are choosing sites like Amazon to shop as it’s more accessible and cheaper.”
Others said they put blame on the council, because of rate prices, and a lack of incentive to go into the city centre.
Erin, 37, from Northeast England: “It’s the same as every high street. The main shops are leaving. The towns aren’t as busy as they used to be. High costs and no incentives for businesses from the council.”
Richard, 59, told Belfast Live: “It’s too easy to shop online. You can order from anywhere and it’s there the next day. People come in here to try clothes on to go home and order it online. It’s cheaper.”
However, not everything can be bought online, as 24-year-old Geraldine said when asked about her thoughts on the closure of Claire’s.
“Claire’s is for kids, and they go and get their ears pierced,” she added.
“Those kinds of experiences, especially for me growing up, in a sense getting that took away is not that great. You can’t get your ears pierced online and future generations won’t have these fun unique memories.”
One tourist argued that it’s not a Belfast-specific issue, that store closures are happening across the UK.
71-year-old Tom Downey from Scotland said Belfast City Centre was “nice” and “clean”
“It’s got a good choice of shops,” he added.
“Shops are closing all over the country it doesn’t matter where you go.”
One-in-ten businesses in NI are in danger of closing, a 2024 survey from Enterprise NI suggests. The latest enterprise barometer from the business support service found 43% of businesses surveyed enjoyed growth in the past 12 months, with 61% expecting they’ll grow in the 12 months ahead.
Video by Belfast Live videographer Harry Bateman.
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