As British high streets continue to feel the pressure, new data shows dozens of shops across Leicestershire are currently standing empty.

Analysis from the Centre for Social Justice claims the country's high streets are changing and not necessarily for the better.

According to the report, nearly 1,800 pubs and bars have been lost in the UK since 2016, while tobacco and vape outlets rose from 245 to nearly 2,200 in the same period.

Which? also highlights the "frightening pace" that British banks are closing their doors, with just under 7,000 during a similar period.

The government has been introducing measures allowing local authorities to sort out their town centres, including more control over the number of vape and betting shops and lower business rates for nightlife venues.

Since 2024, Westminster has also pushed its High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs) initiative, which requires landlords to rent out continually vacant units to local businesses or community groups.

However, only one area in Leicestershire is seriously looking at implementing the programme.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) asked all the county's borough and district councils to share the retail vacancy rates in their biggest towns.

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While all results came in under the national average of 14 per cent, the data shows that many county towns still have dozens of empty units.

• In June 2026, Loughborough's vacancy rate was just more than 12 per cent, making it the emptiest in Leicestershire.
• Next was Coalville, where 10 per cent of shops stood empty according to the latest data.
• Hinckley had a rate of 9 per cent.
• The market town of Melton came in at 7.4 per cent.
• The figure for vacant retail units in Oadby was 6.6 per cent.
• Performing better were the towns in Harborough district, with 4 per cent of shops in Lutterworth currently empty.
• The district's hub, Market Harborough, had a score of 3 per cent.
• In North West Leicestershire's Ashby-de-la-Zouch, 2 per cent of shops were vacant.
• Only 1.6 per cent of Oadby's units were unoccupied, making it the least empty in the county.

North West Leicestershire District's towns were among the highest and lowest performers for retail vacancy in the county.

It says it is assessing how effective the HSRA scheme is but does not have the resources to launch it yet.

A spokesperson added the vacancy rate only shows "part of the picture" in terms of the health of the area's retail sector, pointing to other important factors such as the range of shops, the street scene, and the parking options on offer.