Overview

• Walsall’s town centre has 40 empty units out of around 150 shops, maintaining a 25 percent vacancy rate.
• Having lost anchor retailers such as Debenhams and M&S, the town has seen a significant drop in footfall.
• In early July, Walsall Council unveiled a £1.5bn redevelopment programme aimed at diversifying the retail mix.
• The Centre for Retail Research predicts more than 17,000 shop closures and 200,000 job losses across the UK in 2025, highlighting broader sectoral strain.
• Local entrepreneurs are launching specialised ventures to revive the high street, including The Card Loft trading card game store due to open on July 26 with a planned community space.