Hailsham benefits from fresh new outlets since pandemic

Exclusive Report

Unlike many other towns across the country, Hailsham has seen a large number of new shops and businesses opening their doors since the start of the COVID pandemic.

In March 2020, many were forced to close to the public and in some cases reinvent the way they trade, to ensure they generate an income during lockdown.

Hailsham News has counted at least nine new shops and businesses in the town centre alone in the last 18 months.

One of the first businesses to announce new offers was Maybugs, based in Vicarage Field. In August, the team opened a new business next to its current gift shop ‘Flowers by Maybugs’, only to lock its doors just a few weeks after.

However, due to excellent marketing, the shop was able to continue trading online and making deliveries all across the town. The company has also recently announced its expansion into a new premises in Eastbourne town centre.

Other businesses which decided to launch during the toughest times for businesses in modern times include: Happy Paws Pet Shop, 847847 Taxis, Will’s cafe, Romeo and Juliet, Hailsham Barbers, Rustico, Simply Weigh, Sweet Tooth and Sweethearts Party Boutique.

According to research Which? has ranked Hailsham as the 43rd best performing town centres in Britain.

In a list of 1,000 retail centres compiled by Strategic Tail Property Consultancy, Harper Dennis Hobbs (HDH), Hailsham has climbed 155 places compared to last year’s rankings.

According to several factors, the HDH Vitality Ranking determines the health of high streets and shopping centres, including the change in residents’ movement, vacancy rates and suitability to local consumers’ demands.

Other businesses in town that changed dramatically were B12 Wine Bar and Kitchen who refurbished the restaurant with a new seating layout, the Sjaan Dance Company which expanded into new larger studios about St. Mary’s Walk and East Sussex

School of Circus Arts which completed its training facilities at Knockhatch.

According to a recent vacancy rate survey conducted by Springboard, the percentage of vacant ground floor units in Hailsham currently stands at 6.2%, a significant drop from the 7.7% recorded in July 2020. This compares to a current regional/South east average of 11.2% and national average of 11.3%.

Deputy Town Clerk and Business Enterprise Manager, Mickey Caira, said: “The percentage of vacant commercial units in Hailsham currently falls below the current regional and national averages, which is excellent news for Hailsham.

The Office for National Statistics reported as a whole, retail sales (in volume terms) in Great Britain have recovered from the large contraction in March and April 2020 but still saw the largest annual fall on record. In 2020, total retail sales volumes fell by 1.9% compared with 2019, the largest annual fall on record.