Landlords and councils are losing Christmas spending to retail parks by leaving empty shop windows bare, according to the boss of a Derbyshire signage company.
Filip Jovetic, managing director of Ilkeston-based Giant Squid Print, is urging landlords, councils and business improvement districts to commit to “no bare windows” on main shopping streets this Christmas, with empty units filled with work by local artists or the winning designs from school competitions.
The call comes as around 13% of high street units in Britain stand empty, according to Savills. At the same time, PwC’s latest survey found consumer sentiment positive for the first time in five years, with a quarter of people planning to spend more this Christmas than last year.
Already Paying for Empty Units
In England, most landlords pay full business rates on an empty shop once the first three months are up. Jovetic argues that makes the cost of dressing a vacant window small by comparison, and a better way to stop shoppers heading for out-of-town retail parks.
Independents Urged Not to Wait
The Voices of Retail 2026 report found 96% of shoppers want more independent shops where they live. Jovetic said independent retailers should act on their own shopfronts now rather than wait for neighbouring units to be let.
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