The shopping scene in Bromley is considerable, with retail giants such as Primark, Next and H&M making up just some of the offerings along High Street.
Further shopping appeal can be found inside The Glades shopping centre and The Mall.
However among the big brands and high street names, we counted over 20 empty units and closed shops – which is more than double what we counted at the start of July in 2024.
These units were noted in High Street, Widmore Road, inside The Glades and The Mall.
One of the most notable vacant retail units in High Street is the former Wilko premises.
The retail giant announced the administration of its chain of 400 stores in August 2023, with the Bromley location closing its doors on October 8 that same year.
Another long-term empty unit was once the address of a Laura Ashley store.
Laura Ashley announced the permanent closure of 70 of its stores in March 2020, following a downturn in profitability that was worsened by the Covid-19 lockdown.
The store reopened in June 2020 for an extensive sell-off of remaining stock, but closed for good soon after.
Other empty units on High Street include Urban Junction, a men’s clothing store, with ‘closing down sale’ posters in its windows and a padlock and chain on the doors.
Carpetright has upped and moved after “challenging trading conditions” saw Carpetright Limited placed into administration on July 22 last year, sealing the fate of the Bromley branch.
A blank retail unit with obscured windows that was once home to Alice’s Attic remains closed, and right next to it we spotted a ‘closing down sale’ sign in the shopfront of What’s New Pussycat’.
According to Google however, the store is temporarily closed. We tried to contact the store for their statement but were unable to reach them.
Two other empty units sitting side-by-side on High Street are the premises formerly inhabited by TSB and Met-rx.
Leech Vintage is permanently closed, but the retail space is available to let by GWC.
At The Mall Argos has yet to be replaced and just opposite a massive retail unit is sat vacant.
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Inside The Glades we counted six empty units and one temporarily closed store.
These included the former premises of Goldsmiths and Lush, both which have now relocated inside the shopping centre but nothing has yet filled their space.
Time 4 Pets remains closed, still displaying a sign reading: “It is with great sadness that after thirty-two years of trading we have had to make the hard decision to close our doors for the last time and liquidate the company.”
