The UK has released an anti-rating of cities based on the number of closed shops: who is leading.

According to The Sun: The UK has published a list of cities with the highest number of closed retail outlets. Is your city among them?

The situation on British shopping streets is becoming increasingly complex as many businesses are closing their stores due to low consumer demand and rising costs.

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During the economic crisis, banks, restaurants, and well-known brands are going through tough times.

Not long ago, a ranking of the ten cities in the country with the most closures was published - the top place is occupied by a city in the northwest.

This list also included other cities in northern England, the Midlands, the southeast and the southwest.

Worst city of the last decade

The latest research from barcodestore.co.uk revealed that the port city of Ellesmere Port in Wirral ranks first for the number of closed shops.

This city has become the most vulnerable, as the highest number of shops closed in proportion to its population since 2015.

An impressive 460 retail traders closed their doors between 2015 and 2025, with a population of just 61,090.

The ten cities in the UK with the highest number of retail closures

In an effort to revive the city, Cheshire West and Chester Council is investing £8 million in bringing retail traders back to the region.

This comes amid Birkenhead, also in Wirral, planning to secure £51 million to transform the town.

Other areas

Joining the port city in the northwest is Blackpool, where 510 shops have closed over the last decade.

Proportionally to its population, Blackpool ranked fourth in the UK for the number of retail closures.

Also making the list were Warrington in Cheshire and Leeds in Yorkshire, which took 5th and 9th places respectively.

Warrington lost 480 shops since 2015, while 800 of the largest retailers closed in Leeds.

Norwich and Torquay, Devon completed the trio of cities with the highest number of closures per capita since 2015.

Norwich faced 580 closures, while Torquay had 540.

The worst cities for retail closures since 2015

Here are the worst cities for retail closures over the last decade relative to their population.

The ten cities with the highest number of closures per capita since 2015:

• Ellesmere Port – 0.00753
• Norwich – 0.00403
• Torquay, Devon – 0.00397
• Blackpool – 0.00352
• Warrington – 0.00229
• Bristol – 0.00164
• Poole – 0.00116
• Birmingham – 0.00079
• Leeds – 0.00075
• London – 0.00014

After Warrington, the largest cities on the list were Bristol, Poole, and Birmingham.

Although London ranked tenth on the list with an impressive 1000 closures, it was last in terms of population.

Ongoing closures

Recently, The Sun reported that a UK cosmetics chain will close another 30 stores following bankruptcy.

The British retailer announced that the latest closures will take place on Tuesday and Thursday this week.

Two British banks are also closing 14 branches this week as the wave of branch closures continues across the UK.

Banks state they are taking these measures as more customers prefer to manage their finances online or through mobile apps rather than visiting branches.

Additionally, several other retailers are also closing stores this week, including major brands like Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop.

Getty In the context of increasing closures, it is important to note that many cities in the UK are trying to find ways to support the local economy. In addition to the investments being made in certain regions, more businesses are seeking new working models to adapt to the new market realities. This situation highlights the challenges retailers face amid changing consumer habits and economic difficulties.