Leeds city centre footfall over 1.3m a week with record low empty shops
Leeds has a record low of empty shops - and has less vacant retail units than the average across the country
The number of empty retail units in Leeds city centre has hit a record low ahead of this year’s Christmas rush, according to Leeds City Council.
As Leeds heads into what is expected to be its busiest shopping period of the year, the vacancy rate in the city centre’s main retail area stands at just 8.8 per cent, the lowest since figures started being collated in 2019.
The council also said Leeds is also bucking the national trend, with the average vacancy rate elsewhere across the country currently at around 12.4 per cent.
The authority said the figures are encouraging with a footfall of 45,291,505 recorded by specialist cameras measuring pedestrian movement in eight key areas including Briggate, The Headrow and Albion Street.
The data means an average footfall of 1,332,103 every week across the city centre so far in 2026.
Footfall on Briggate alone this year to date stands at 8,502,173, an average of 250,063 every week, with footfall across the city centre currently consistently up on the same period last year.
The number of people in the city centre is expected to reach its highest points of the year in the upcoming months, with hundreds of thousands of people set to attend Light Night Leeds on October 28 and 29.
On top of this, Black Friday and the festive period is likely to bring shoppers into the city centre.
Steven Foster, the Centre Director of Trinity Leeds in the city centre said they've also seen increased footfall and sales.
Steven said: "It's fabulous I think the whole city is thriving not just Trinity Leeds. You see Briggate really thriving at the moment more, more new brands and shops opening all the time. The city centre is looking nice and clean, so it's really warming for people to come back to Leeds."
He also said: "In the past new brands would go somewhere else first of all, but Leeds actually is competing with Manchester and Liverpool to get new brands to come, specifically for the first time, and that's a big shift and it's fantastic."
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy said: “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.”