Harrogate named the number one performing market town in the North of England

Harrogate is the number one performing market town in the North of England, according to the 2017 Vitality Rankings of the Top 50 British Centres.

Harrogate came in at number 23 in the Vitality Ranking Top 50, which ranked 1000 retail centres, beating Islington, Upper Street, Kensington and Fulham Road in London, St Ives, and Henley-on-Thames in the south.

It was also number one in the ‘Top 5 Centres in Yorkshire and Humber’, beating Meadowhall in Sheffield (ranked 28), Leeds City Centre (ranked 35) and York City Centre (ranked 46).

Compared with other market towns on the Top 1000 list, Harrogate was the highest ranking market town in the North.

The Vitality Index, conducted by retail specialist Harper Dennis Hobbs, maps 1,000 retail centres across Britain, and ranks them all by quantifying the ‘retail health’ of each centre.

Vitality is measured through a combination of the proportions of up-market shops, value-led shops, vacancy rate, and the proportion of ‘undesirable’ shops – such as pawnbrokers, money lenders, and bookmakers.

It is the first year the Vitality Index includes small towns and high streets after demand from both retailer and investors.

Jonathan De Mello, Head of Retail Consultancy at Harper Dennis Hobbs, said, “This ranking highlights the ‘healthiest’ retail centres in Britain, which successful brands should target when considering network expansion. Smaller centres are of increasing interest to retailers, given rents are often highest in the largest centres. So a small centre with a high vitality score – and the right shopper profile – could potentially yield strong profits.”