The pandemic was a brutal and unforgiving time for many businesses, not least those with a place on the high street.

A short walk-through Winchester city centre quickly reveals the scars of an incredibly tough couple of years.

To the Hampshire Chronicle's count, there were as many as 22 vacant premises in the hub of the city, albeit with two of them already touted for new owners.

Their inhabitants were largely national chains which withdrew from the high street due to cost cutting measures, a trend which has been seen across the UK. 

These included: New Look, Lloyds Pharmacy, R A O B Club, City Cobbler, Debenhams, TSB Bank, Smiggle, The Carphone Warehouse, West Cornwall Food Co, Starbucks, Eat, Drink and Be, Barnet and Tutti, Age UK, MegaBet, Sofa Workshop, Loch Fynne, The Toy Cupboard and Computer Solutions. 

In fact, according to the Winchester Business Barometer report, which was published by Winchester Bid on January 20, the overall vacancy rate in the city centre is 10.8%, which remains up from the 6.9% pre-pandemic level.

On the high street, that figure sits slightly lower at 9.3%, but again still remained higher than the pre-pandemic figure of 5.4%.

Some of the empty buildings, including the former home of Ballet Pointe and Lloyds Pharmacy, are simply a result of the businesses relocating to nearby premises.

But the report did return the disappointing news that Dinghams closed on January 15 and the future of Gieves and Hawkes, with a branch in The Square, is in doubt. 

One in five businesses have also said they're expecting cash-flow problems before the year is out, rising to one in four for independents.

However, there were plenty of promising takeaways for new and remaining businesses, with both the vacancy figures for the city centre and the high street down from last year and well below the national average of 14.5% for high streets across England.

Incoming newbies Oliver Bonas, Croma Security and Holloways of
Ludlow have additionally helped offset closures.

Business confidence is also up, with 45 members of Winchester Bid stating their confidence has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The outlook for independents in 2022 further appears to be better than some local opinion suggests, as median sales are expected to increase by 10% this year versus 2021.

Reflecting on the findings, Paul Spencer from Winchester Bid, said: "In Winchester, we are fortunate to have a strong and vibrant independent business community, which contributes positively towards the character and distinctiveness of our city centre and high street. This must be celebrated and encouraged.

"There are examples of new independents moving into the city as well as others already here which are growing and taking on new premises. 

"We have sadly lost some high-profile nationals during the pandemic, which have closed stores across the country, and not just here.

"Nevertheless, larger businesses continue to be attracted to Winchester. In recent years, we have seen the likes of Anthropologie, Ecco, Jigsaw, Mountain Warehouse, Seasalt and Starbucks open new premises in Winchester, and Oliver Bonas will be coming soon to the high street."