Leeds City Centre Vacancy Rate Hits Record Low Ahead of Festive Season

September 21, 2026 Off By

Leeds prepares for busiest shopping period with encouraging retail and footfall figures

Leeds city centre is showing strong signs of recovery and growth as it approaches the festive retail season, with the vacancy rate for retail units reaching its lowest level since 2019. Recent data reveals that only 8.8 per cent of retail units in the city centre remain empty, a figure significantly below the national average of approximately 12.4 per cent.

Retail vacancy rates and footfall statistics

The vacancy rate of 8.8 per cent applies to the main retail areas of Leeds city centre and marks a record low since data collection began in 2019. This positive trend contrasts with the wider UK retail market, where many city centres continue to face higher vacancy rates.

Footfall figures for 2026 also indicate a robust performance in Leeds city centre. Specialist cameras monitoring pedestrian movement across eight key locations, including Briggate, The Headrow, and Albion Street, recorded a total footfall of 45,291,505 so far this year. This equates to an average weekly footfall of 1,332,103 people.

Briggate, one of the city’s main shopping streets, recorded 8,502,173 visitors in 2026 to date, averaging 250,063 people per week. Footfall across the city centre is consistently higher compared to the same period last year.

Upcoming events expected to boost visitor numbers

The number of people visiting Leeds city centre is anticipated to increase further in the coming months. The annual Light Night Leeds event, scheduled for 28 and 29 October, is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors. Following this, the arrival of the Christmas season in November will bring a surge in shoppers and visitors, supported by a programme of seasonal activities.

Council response

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy, commented on the figures:

“It’s hugely encouraging to see the city centre performing so impressively as we prepare for what’s likely to be the busiest and most exciting period of the year for shoppers and visitors.

A great deal of partnership work has gone into making our retail areas and public spaces a unique and welcoming experience, and the consistently strong performance and resilience of our local economy demonstrates the success of that work.

With these impressive figures as a foundation, we’re all set to welcome hundreds of thousands of people to the city for what is sure to be another remarkable season for Leeds.”