Rushden High Street Health Check - We visited the town centre to see how it's faring in 2025

In 2023 and 2024 we conducted research into the health of our local High Streets, tracking openings and closures in the town centre, and crunching the numbers to better understand how it has fared over the year.

Last year’s results showed that Rushden’s offerings are still diverse, however the volume of vacant units and the implementation of a public spaces protection order (PSPO) had dampened many people’s desire to pay the town centre a visit.

It is undoubtedly an important part of Rushden’s identity, though, so we thought the new year was a good time to check in on the High Street and learn more about how it has changed in 2025.

2024 HEALTH CHECK: Rushden town centre health check 2024 - we took to the streets to see how it's faring

Rushden’s High Street has built a reputation over the decades for offering unique shops, a friendly environment and a quaint atmosphere. But in 2025, the nationwide decline of town centres is hard to ignore and it’s clear Rushden hasn’t been unaffected by the change.

Shoppers’ habits have evolved and out-of-town retail parks have taken no small amount of footfall away from town centres, but in 2025 there is still a lot to be gained by visiting the High Street.

I started my day at Happy Monday’s Coffee, which has been one of Rushden’s biggest success stories in recent years, opening in the latter stages of the pandemic and going from strength to strength. The coffee is fantastic, and the busy dining area was only further proof of its popularity among locals.

I then opted to take a stroll through the High Street, window shopping on the way to Osborne’s, which has the charm that no online retailer can replicate. I picked up a LEGO set I’ve been eyeing for a while and had a lovely chat with a member of staff before re-emerging into the High Street with a lighter wallet and a busier weekend than I had initially planned.

I then visited Mrs B's Tea Shop at Newton Hall on the corner of the High Street for a sandwich and a quick rest, before heading out for a lap of Hall Park and back to the car.

What is in Rushden’s town centre is good, and openings such as The General in College Street and Elevens Bakery in the High Street have done well to keep the offerings somewhat fresh.

There is no escaping the fact, however, that there are a handful of long-term vacant units, and that the turnaround of shops and traders is high.

Plenty of units aren’t being used to their full potential, but many who remain have shown that businesses can have some staying power, despite the doom and gloom that is often associated with town centres today.

B&M is set to open in the old Wilko next month, and with it will bring 50 new jobs to local people.

The store manager from B&M said: “We’re feeling extremely positive about the creation of more jobs for local people, and we hope customers are going to be delighted with their new store.

“We are all really excited to get the doors open and welcome new customers through the door.”

In Rushden parking is free, and the layout of the High Street means it’s virtually impossible to get lost, either by car or on foot. Spending a day there is easy, and relatively inexpensive, and those who do will have the chance to discover some great, locally-owned businesses that are more than worthy of supporting.

In 2023, we said that Rushden’s High Street ‘has braved the climate to still be worth visiting’, and despite it being hindered by its fair share of obstacles in the time since, I stand by that claim. It is not without its problems – no town centre is — but the heart of any place are the people who make the best of it. It’s their hard work, great services and resilience that are essential in propping the High Street up, despite having to contend with the declining health of town centres nationally.

In 2025 supporting local traders can be a hard sell, given the convenience and cost-saving that big businesses can offer, but I found that there were places in Rushden where the quality of the product or customer service more than justified the trip.