Perth’s high streets have not had an easy start to the year.
The Courier data team has been tracking the high streets in the Fair City since December 2023.
We got out on foot for the second time to carry out a full survey of just over 400 premises in the city centre and St John’s shopping centre.
Our latest census shows:
- Five streets now have a fifth or more of their units empty, up from just two at the first census
- Not a single tracked street or the shopping centre had seen a drop in their vacancy rate in March compared to December 2023
- In positive news, one of the longest standing vacant units, empty for almost four years, was filled on High Street
- Shopping remains the most popular category of business across Perth high streets
The picture today in Perth
The high street tracker maps out nine streets in Perth – High Street, George Street, St John Street, St John’s Place, South St John’s Place, King Edward Street, South Street, Scott Street (up to the junction with Victoria Street) and South Methven Place.
We also monitor 36 spaces within St John’s Shopping Centre.
Our latest census in March showed vacancy rates had increased across most of the streets since December.
The average across all units on the high streets rose by 3% to 19.1%.
Not a single street saw the vacancy rate fall, but for three the rate was unchanged after three months.
However, St John’s Place, St John Street and South St John’s Place also only cover around a tenth of the total units we track.
With only two out of six units occupied, South St John’s Place still has the highest rate of vacancy.
But South Street moved to the third worst vacancy rate behind South Methven Street.
Only two of the streets had a vacancy rate over 20% after our first census. But the most recent walk through saw five streets where a fifth or more of the units were shut.
St John’s Shopping Centre’s vacancy rate has also risen during the period and remains just slightly above the average rate across the streets.
The latest analysis showed just below a fifth of spaces were vacant (19.4%).
Shopping destination
Shopping remains the most popular category on Perth high streets– making up 37.2% of occupied units.
A quarter of the businesses (25%) fall under food and drink, but they are quickly followed by hair and beauty establishments at 17.6%.
However, St John’s Shopping Centre further boosts the number of operating shops in the city centre.
Shops fill 86.2% of the 29 occupied units in the shopping centre alongside two banks and two food and drink options.
Looking at the streets themselves, St John Street has the highest proportion of shopping units (52.38%).
Meanwhile, South St John’s Place only has two filled units and is equally split into hair and beauty and entertainment.
Apart from that, South Street has the highest proportion of hair and beauty salons (21.67%).
But St John’s Place definitely takes the foodie heaven title with just a tenth of units not filled by food and drink venues.
Which spaces have changed?
We make sure to keep a log of all the changes to the high streets and shopping centres we track.
There have been a number of notable closures in the Fair City, including that of Barclays Bank on High Street.
But Perth has also seen new ventures occupy units that have stood empty.
Seven vacant units were filled by new businesses, including new dessert shop Haute Dolci.
But 14 businesses closed their doors for the final time.
High Street saw the most changes, but it also has the most units from our tracked streets.
Shopping units saw the most closures, followed by food and drink premises and other services.
However, one of the closures is likely temporary with Ice Cloud opening seasonally.
Calendar Club also closes all its physical stores seasonally in January but has returned to St John’s Shopping Centre repeatedly in the past.
But Greyfriars Art Shop on Scott Street announced they would close permanently at the start of the year.
On the same street, children’s shoe shop Petit Pas had to shut after a nearby fire damaged their inventory.
Award-winning café Little Bird also left its High Street location at the end of the year in a pre planned closure.
But one of the new additions to the high streets occupied one of the longest-standing vacant units.
The High Street unit taken over by Gaming – PC – Phones was empty for almost four years after Carphone Warehouse shut.
Upcoming changes
While the Alteration Boutique by Flo closed its former premises, the census also showed signs of a new space for the business.
Posters have also been put up on the old George Street location of Malt & Spirits.
Local artist Silvia Whiteley announced on social media the space will open as her studio and gift shop in April.
The former South Street News is set for a new lease of life with Kwikimart Perth opening this spring.
It will feature an interior that “will feel like you’ve just stepped into a cartoon”.
Unfortunately, there are also looming closures too.
Blackadders at the top of George Street is due to shut at the end of April.
A hairdresser on St John’s Street is also planning to leave his city centre shop in May due to high running costs.
With the former Carphone Warehouse unit on High Street being filled after 1442 days, out top ten vacant units have also changed.
Where possible we track how long vacant units have been left empty based on available information.
Previously, six of the ten were located on High Street but with the recent changes that fell to five.
It has seen 190 South Street, a unit occupied by charity shop PUSH up to 2021, reach the top ten.
There are also hopes the unit that has been empty the longest, formerly filled by Thorntons, could open this summer.
Plans were approved to transform the property into a wine bar at the end of last year.
Is anything being done to help?
Perth Museum is opening to the public this weekend after a £27 million refit of the old City Hall.
A number of events have been lined up which should hopefully bring more feet to city centre businesses.
Additionally, a new partnership aiming to tackle challenges in Perth was launched this week.
Business closures, empty retail units and reduced footfall in Perth city centre will be immediate priorities for the Perth and Kinross Business Partnership.
The group will include Perthshire Chamber of Commerce which recently called for a summit on the topic.
Chief executive Vicki Unite said all stakeholders should be “involved in the conversation” and “playing their part in revitalising our city centre”.
She said: “There’s no question that, like many other cities and towns across the country, Perth is facing a challenging retail environment. High streets are changing and our city centre has to evolve and adapt too.
“But we also have some fantastic independent retailers, hospitality providers and cultural venues.
She added that the chamber had a “constructive meeting” with the council about their proposed summit.
The business leader also highlighted “welcome measures” in the recent budget like the extension of the Adapt your Property grant scheme.
“No one agency has the solution to regenerating Perth city centre,” she added.
“How our city centre looks, how it is accessed, and how landlords and planners work with businesses, are just some of the factors that determine how attractive our city is for shoppers, visitors and new business start-ups.
“As a Chamber, we look forward to working with the Council and others agencies, including through our new Perth and Kinross Business Partnership, to deliver a more prosperous Perth.”
The chamber of commerce will be working alongside rural enterprise body GrowBiz Scotland and Perthshire Local.
Can you help us keep our tracker up to date?
All of the data in our tracker is collected manually by the data team and reporters in Perth.
Access our Perth high street and shopping centre tracker for the most up-to-date details on the nine areas complete with interactive maps and floorplans.
We might not always spot changes immediately, or even get every closure date right.
We would greatly appreciate information about any changes you might spot or corrections where needed.
If there is anything you would like to let us know, please get in contact using the form below.
