The demand for city centre retail space in York is at an historic high with commercial property vacancy rates substantially below the national average – making those which do come onto the market like ‘gold dust’.
George Schofield, associate director of Garness Jones, based in the firm’s Micklegate offices, says a recent ‘economic snapshot’ report into the city’s performance at the end of 2025 reflects why York is so high on many retailers’ ‘location wish-list’.
Produced by York Data Intelligence Hub, an initiative delivered by York Business Improvement District (BID), the report details how the city performed over the recent festive period, how it compared to 2024, and against national figures.
York was above national benchmarks for the levels of sales and customer numbers, with over £52m spent in the city in December alone.
Around 40% of visitors to the city centre during York’s festive trading also stayed for two hours or more – parting with cash in the city’s shops, restaurants, bars, leisure attractions and coffees shops.
Impressively, hotel occupancy rates remained over 85% from April to December – and were consistently higher than the previous two years for most of the year - peaking at close to 95% in July 2025, when the city becomes a destination for summer breaks.
York’s retail property vacancy rate stood at just 5.6% at the end of 2025, a ‘historic low’ and well below the UK average, which was reportedly around 13.5% in the third quarter of 2025.
Food and drink businesses are York’s top sellers
Food and drink offerings now account for 37% of York’s total retail sales, something Mr Schofield says is influencing the requests the team at Garness Jones are handling from interested parties.
“This report shows that York continues to be a standout location for retailers, and those in the leisure and hospitality sectors particularly,” said Mr Schofield.
“The city has a really vibrant mix of retail and leisure offerings which keeps people coming back, and unlike many other cities, it has its own unique offerings and quirks, linked to the city’s history, such as the many independent shops in and around The Shambles.
“Many retailers, of all sizes, have York on their location wish-list and are registered with us to alert them to any new opportunities as they arise. They want to know about any availability immediately.
“As the recent retail vacancy rates demonstrate, units in York are like gold dust at present. Two retail properties which we placed on the market at the start of the year generated more than 20 requested viewings within a matter of days.”
Mr Schofield says he has seen a recent shift in focus in enquiries over potential usage for units in the food and drink sector, which the stats have shown, dominate York’s sales figures.
“There’s a real move now to food and drink on the go,” he said.
“We’re fielding lots of enquiries about taking on smaller units to become convenience kiosk style food and drinks offerings, influenced by the street food culture which has developed and grown in recent years.
“They make good businesses, particularly in areas of the city with high footfall, as they have lower running costs.”
Maintaining a quality and varied offering
Mr Schofield says the team at Garness Jones feel privileged to be working in York, alongside licensed & leisure property specialists Barry Crux & Company, and playing a part in ensuring the offering to visitors remains one of high appeal.
“The offering has to be right and we provide our expertise to both landlords and potential tenants about what will work, and what won’t,” he said.
“It’s important to maintain quality, and keep a mix of the big-name brands and independents. We get some really innovative ideas put forward – things you wouldn’t see elsewhere, and that is great as it means there’s always something new.
“The reality is, for good retailers, a presence in York is a huge opportunity. It’s why we don’t struggle to agree 5 and 10-year leases with new tenants. They see the opportunity it offers and want to establish their brand in the city.”
