How is Corby Town Centre faring? We take another look at shop openings, closures, and what the future holds

After having a look around and speaking to people in the town last year, it seemed fair to say that it was doing rather well.

Having analysed 189 units and spoken to traders, politicians and community figures in February 2023, we found that the town centre has a good range of shops and a high occupancy rate.

How does this year’s data stack up against last year?

The same as last year, we put every unit into different categories to work out the make-up of our town centre and see which sectors dominate.

Of the 191 units assessed this year, from the top of George Street and Cottingham Road in the north to Elizabeth Street in the south east, a total of 18, or 9.4 per cent, were either vacant or long-term closed.

This has decreased by 0.5 per cent compared to last year which had a total of 19, or 10.1 per cent either vacant or long-term closed.

Food and drink continues to have a strong presence in Corby, accounting for just over one quarter of the town centre’s retail space, a slight increase compared to last year.

This is split between cafe or restaurant (10.5 per cent), takeaways (6.3 per cent), food retail (6.8 per cent), and pub or bar (2.1 per cent).

Corby’s largest solo category was again ‘other’, with 16.2 per cent of the units, suggesting that Corby continues to have a good range of shops in its town centre. Notably, four of these are employment agencies.

Clothing and shoe shops have seen a rise up to 7.3 per cent while hair and beauty sits at 7.9 per cent.

The next largest share is now pharmacy and health which takes up 6.3 per cent. This is followed by mixed retail at 4.7 per cent.

Phone shops sit at 3.7 per cent, as do estate agents.

Books, music, and games sees 2.6 per cent of the share, as do banks and financial services.

We have as many gambling shops, including two Shipleys, as we do charity shops, also at 2.6 per cent.

Leaving just newsagents (2.1 per cent), jewellery shops (1.6 per cent), and vape shops (1.0 per cent).

How does Corby compare?

According to the British Retail Consortium, High Street vacancies increased to 13.9 per cent in Q2 of 2023. If the figure has remained the same since then, this would put Corby better off than the national average.

Corby is the first of the north Northamptonshire towns to be analysed this year by our reporters, so there is no data to compare it to.

The openings and closures

Corby town centre has held up well amid a climate of declining high streets and the rise of online shopping.

The majority of its units remain let and footfall has held up. Even the ones that close are often quick to be refilled.

We’ve had a spate of new openings in the town in the past year including, but not limited to, Adam Green Grocers, Frames, TJ Hughes and also the new sixth form.

There’s also more still to open including, a new cigar outlet, Fireaway Pizza, Waffle and More, and The Udder Guy.

(These shops have not been counted as empty as part of our high street health check as they are set to open soon).

Speaking with the Northants Telegraph back in September, operator Sovereign Centros’ asset manager Tom Nuttall said: “The sixth form college opened earlier this month and our retailers nearby are already reporting an increase in footfall.

“When all of these shops open, Corporation Street will be fully let.”

Also speaking with the Northants Telegraph in September and asked about why Corby continues to be so successful while other high streets are struggling, centre manager Dan Pickard said: “We know where our saturation point is with any particular type of retailer.

“Because we have the whole town centre we can move people around and find bigger or smaller units for them.

“We don’t have 20, 30, 40 different landlords to deal with.

“The rents are the most affordable in the area, as are the business rates.”

New contracts with big-name stores including H&M, Card Factory, 3 Store and New Look were also signed last year.

Corby has been less affected by big name closures than neighbouring Kettering in recent years, but there are still a few notable exceptions.

TJ Hughes’ former building has sat empty for nearly 13 years now.

The unit was bought by Sports Direct, with an opening planned for Easter 2020 but as of yet this has still not come to fruition.

Sovereign Centros has said that it is trying to work with the operators of Sports Direct over the unit.

Corby’s Co-op has also been empty for seven years, but there are plans for 150 high-rise flats up to six storeys high on the former site.

Other notable empty units in the town centre include the former Brighthouse, Robert Goddard, Dona & Don, Barclays and Wilko.

At the time of speaking to us in September, Tom Nuttall from Sovereign said that they did have people wanting to look around the unit, but so far nothing has opened.

What do you think about Corby town centre?

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