How can empty department stores and other former retail anchors find a new purpose and contribute to thriving town centres?
On Tuesday 10 November, we’re hosting a free online webinar exploring the challenges of repurposing these buildings, the opportunities they offer, and the policy and practical support available to help bring them back into use.
Department stores have historically played an important role in attracting visitors and supporting surrounding businesses. Their closure can leave significant gaps in town centres, but successful projects across the country show how these buildings can accommodate new activities and serve their communities in different ways.
The government’s recently announced £210m package to support high street regeneration adds to the relevance of this discussion. Funding is part of the picture, alongside understanding local needs, identifying viable uses and bringing together the people who can make change happen.
What we’ll explore
The hour-long session will consider:
- Why so many department stores have closed, and what this means for our high streets.
- How policies such as High Street Rental Auctions are attempting to address town centre vacancy.
- Examples of department stores and other former retail anchors being successfully repurposed.
- Resources available to communities looking to tackle their own vacant properties.
Our speakers
Graham Soult, FIPM and Partner in The High Street Consultancy, will set the scene, exploring how high streets are evolving, the changing role of department stores and other retail anchors, and why successful regeneration depends on people and activity as well as buildings.
Ben Stephenson, SFIPM and Partner in The High Street Consultancy, will explore the recent history of department stores and how they are being repurposed across the country.
We’re also pleased to welcome Kathryn Chiswell Jones, CEO of Artspace Lifespace, who will share her experience of community asset development, including running Sparks in Bristol’s former Marks & Spencer store.
Sparks has welcomed over 1.5 million visitors as a circular economy and events space, education centre and co-working hub for creatives. Kathryn will also discuss her work with Power to Change to develop a vacant property toolkit for community groups.
Join us
The webinar is aimed at community groups, council officers, BIDs and other high street practitioners interested in bringing vacant buildings back into use.
Tuesday 10 November 2026, 10am to 11am
Online via Zoom | Free to attend
