Almost 2,000 more independent stores in Great Britain left empty this year

Hairdressers were the hardest hit, according to the data, while estate agents, pubs, fish &and chip shops, florists, butchers, newsagents and car dealerships also suffered. Photograph: Geoffrey Swaine/Shutterstock

Almost 2,000 more British independent stores were left empty in the first half of this year, as small businesses struggled to cope with rising inflation and the cost of living crisis.

The biggest rise in vacancies in at least eight years marks a reversal in fortunes for independent outlets after two years of growth. Small firms had thrived from a shift towards local shopping prompted by the pandemic and were also helped by government Covid support on rent and business rates.