Concern raised over fate of Glasgow city centre

Glasgow city centre needs “fresh life” a business body has warned, as a new report showed a decline of sales as well as more than 400,000 visitors compared with last year.

There were 410,000 fewer visitors in May compared with the same month last year, while in April there was a sales decrease of 12.3 per cent, the equivalent of £60 million.

A spokesman for the city council said Glasgow faced “significant challenges” but the council was working to create a “more attractive environment” for businesses and shoppers.

Richard Muir, deputy chief executive at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce said: “The recovery of Glasgow City Centre should remain a top economic priority for all levels of our governments.

“The Golden Z report launched last August explained much of what needs to be done to breathe fresh life into the most impacted streets. It is now time that we enact this report.”

Muir called for a “new city deal” involving tax incentives and funding to help the retail sector.

City centres across the country have been affected by a number of factors, including the cost of living crisis and the continued popularity of online shopping.

However, feedback from businesses in the new report cited additional problems with “cleansing, maintenance & hygiene” throughout Glasgow.

 The city has been blighted by a number of shop and restaurant closures in recent years, including the HMV megastore on Buchanan Street, Marks & Spencer on Sauchiehall Street and Debenhams on Argyle Street.

The two fires that devastated Glasgow School of Art and destroyed the O2 ABC venue have also affected surrounding businesses, leaving a number of empty properties around the city centre.

Scottish Retail Consortium also maintained that Glasgow’s status as a premier shopping destination “risks becoming a memory.”

Ewan MacDonald-Russell, SRC’s deputy head, said, “These figures, which correlate with the SRC’s own footfall data, demonstrate Glasgow’s grasp on the title of Scotland’s shopping capital is weakening.

“Footfall has failed to recover since the pandemic as shoppers cut back their discretionary spending and shift shopping trips to out-of-town or online retailers.” 

MacDonald-Russell said there should be a reduction in non-domestic rates and better public transport to help businesses attract more visitors.