Footage inside a UK shopping centre shows the sad reality of our dwindling high streets and shopping complexes.

As you walk through your local town, you might notice empty store front, loss of independent businesses and big brands vanishing. Attendance at UK shopping centres, retail parks and high streets was down 2.2% in December compared with the same period in 2023, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and analysts at Sensormatic.

Rising shop prices and general inflation has put people off spending a day out shopping in their local town. Plus, with trading conditions tightening, retailers cannot afford to underperform. But getting people to boost profit is no easy feat.

Online retail giants like Amazon have had a huge impact on the UK high street, as more and more shoppers see digital purchasing as a cheaper and more convienient option.

One man recently went through a walk through his hometown shopping centre and spotted over 90 shops closed down.

Rhys Stroulger, who shares lifestyle and fashion tips on his Instagram and TikTok pages, said: “What’s happening to UK shopping centres? I can’t believe this is what the local shopping centres in the UK are becoming. This is my local mall is Croydon and honestly it was so empty it felt dystopian.”

He shared a video showing the depressing reality inside Whitgift Centre, in Croydon, where he spotted over 90 shops shut down. Rhys also shared that he spotted an old cafe that was “completely derelict and falling apart”.

Forgotten store-fronts seemed to be everywhere. And Rhys added: “It just felt so eerie and weird…and the stores that are open are completley empty. It just feels like town centre is now full of these random a** stores, nobody will ever shop in.”

He noticed that the likes of New Look and other big name brands often have big sales on. “I just think it’s really sad to be honest,” he commented.

Rhys said that he loved the time when people would spend time in their local shopping centres or high streets for a full day, shopping, hanging out with friends. “We just don’t have that anymore,” he concluded.

Time Out reports that after years of waiting for plans, Tim Hurstwyn who is Development Director at URW told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that there is a masterplan to create the ‘North End Quarter’ in Croydon – a desintion with shopping the focuses of Whitgift Centre and surrounding areas in a bid to make positive change.

Commenting on Rhys video, one said: “Same in every town and city.” Another remarked: “Looks like a ghost town and no soul.”

A third theorised: “This is the fault of the intenet. Get rid, bring the shops back.” And a fourth added: “It’s really sad.”