Milton Keynes ranks high in list of top UK shopping destinations

Milton Keynes has been named as one of the country’s ‘leading shopping locations’ according to new research.

MK ranked as the nation’s 16th best performing in a list of 1,000 retail centres across the country.

The table was put together by strategic retail property consultancy Harper Dennis Hobbs (HBH) and determines the health of high streets and shopping centres including vacancy rates, suitability to consumers’ demands and a change in resident movement.

This means Milton Keynes is well-placed to see a retail recovery post COVID with strong centrally located shopping areas such as centre:mk and intu.

Andy Metherell, Head of Retail Consultancy at HDH, said: “The most vital retail centres currently provide services that are essential to people’s lives, such as grocers and pharmacies.

“These essential retailers have been able to trade throughout the strictest lockdowns, and consumers have not been willing or able to travel far to visit these stores. Shopping patterns have therefore changed significantly since the start of the pandemic, and consumers’ local high streets are benefitting at the expense of major destinations.”