With competition from online retailers and rents being hiked, high streets across Kent are seeing units once occupied by national chains now sitting empty.

It’s the same story in Canterbury city centre – but the holes being left by big brands are now being filled by plucky independents, as Max Chesson reports...

Debenhams, Trespass, Jack Wills, Burton, Dorothy Perkins are just some of the big names to have deserted Canterbury’s high street in the past few years.

A quarter of the city’s national chains have called it quits since 2019.

However, amid the doom and gloom, during the same period the city has seen a 20% rise in independent traders, which now account for more than a third of businesses.

Does this mean the make-up of the high street is changing for good – becoming a location where indies will thrive?

Lisa Carlson, chief executive of Canterbury Bid, an organisation which works with and supports companies in the area, is encouraged by the rise of independent shops, but says there needs to be a balance.

“I think it’s all positive – the number of independents we have adds real value to what we have on offer,” she said.

“There’s always a balance. It’s important we make the most of everything we have – the Cathedral, Marlowe Theatre, the largest surviving medieval gateway in England, tourists nationally and internationally.

“It’s important we have national brands. People come to Fenwick or M&S or Boots and they’re part of the mix but people come for the overall experience and the indies are part of that mix.”

Cheran Friedman is the owner of Cheran’s Baker, a sweet and treat shop in Sun Street, and also runs branches in Sittingbourne, Faversham and Rochester.

Speaking of her experience in the city, Miss Friedman, 30, who opened the shop in December last year, said: “Having shops in different towns, the dynamic in each town is so different. I thought Canterbury would be the busiest but the smaller shops are the ones that work better and get more business.”

While Canterbury BID officials claim the footfall is generally consistent, Cheran says business owners in Sun Street, near the Cathedral, tell her a different story.

“It’s a nice little city – everyone loves Canterbury,” said Miss Friedman.

“A lot of people are supporting local businesses more than chains. All the independent shops getting support from residents are only one-man bands.

“People know if they go buy something from an indie business, they know it can be potentially life-changing for the vendor.”

“But I think everyone thinks Canterbury is the place to be – when actually I feel more and more shops have disappeared.

“I viewed shops for three months – every time I came it was dead. All the businesses said how dead it was until about March or April. I was thinking I don’t want to open a shop that could flop.”

Despite the perception that shops are ditching the city, according to Canterbury Bid, there have been 41 business arrivals and 32 closures between March last year and February this year.

But Miss Friedman is not the only one who fears Canterbury might be on the decline.

Peter Chittenden ran Funky Monks - a vintage clothing store - for 26 years in St Peter’s Lane until he decided to call it quits last year and move the business out of the city.

Whilst the original reason for the shop’s closure was the sale of the building, Mr Chittenden said he didn’t feel confident investing in the city.

“We couldn’t find anywhere suitable in Canterbury at the time with the rising costs of everything,” began the 58-year-old.

“And as far as Canterbury goes, it wasn’t worth investing in because I feel it’s gone downhill over the past 10 or so years.

“Loads of big brands have moved, you only have to look at the list of who has left in the last 10 years.

“Leaving Canterbury has been for the better in these times, it’s not a desirable place to be anymore.”

Since leaving the city, Mr Chittenden has found new ways to connect to customers.

As well as having an online presence on eBay and Depop, the business has a stall at Deal Town Market every Saturday and can be found at Briggsy's Emporium in Herne Bay.

So while Funky Monks continues to live on, its long-standing presence in the city is missed.

Other large empty units sit vacant, notably Debenhams and Nason’s – though plans to transform the latter were given the green light months ago – and the gaping holes make the area feel emptier than it is.

But despite the concerns from both Miss Friedman and Mr Chittenden about the issues Canterbury faces, Mrs Carlson says the city remains a valuable place to be.

“It’s a shame to have lost Funky Monks,” she said. “There will be closures and we will lose people.

“But we’re gaining new businesses all the time who say they’re really happy to be in the city.

“There’s been a shift in large retail in the last 10 years but retail still needs space - just different space.”

Figures from Canterbury Bid show that in 2019, the city was home to 283 independent shops and 220 chains.

Now there are 382 independents – almost 100 more than four years ago – while the number of chains has fallen to 183.

Mrs Carlson said: “People still want somewhere to go in physically to shop. We’re seeing big sites such as former Topshops being converted to suit different types of retail space.

“The lack of action on Debenhams or Nasons has nothing to do with lack of commercial interest or developer interest but ultimately is because of factors beyond everyone’s control.”

When asked what needs to change, Mr Chittenden and Miss Friedman both raised the issue of rent.

“The sort of places that are opening, they’re the kind of places that doesn’t make Canterbury a cultural or interesting place to be anymore,” The Funky Monks boss said, adding he wishes new businesses the best.

“All I’d suggest is a lowering of the rent so people could compete with online and attract people to the city.

“The parking is also too steep – lots say they won’t come because of the parking.”

KentOnline previously revealed how Canterbury City Council has raked in £45 million in parking fees in the space of five years – far higher than any other district in the county.

Mr Chittenden added: “It’s footfall and rates vs the income. Originally I found it interesting – there was lots going on, there were so many brilliant little places.

“Canterbury was a quirky, happening city but it’s not the place it used to be.”

Earlier this year, burger chain 7Bone announced its shock departure from the city, suggesting the rent being demanded for the building was too high.

Miss Friedman says she was quoted four times the rent she pays now for a different site barely 50 yards away.

Engaging with landlords is a priority for Bid, with Mrs Carlson telling KentOnline: “There are lots of conversations nationally about engaging with property owners.

“The point that is often missed is the people who run businesses or work in Canterbury are mostly residents of the district so we all know the importance of getting local people engaged.

“The ones who we know and are local want a seat at the table. They want to see investments flourish – so it’s a question of really engaging with the absentee property owners and finding a way to unlock that conversation.

“People still want somewhere to go in physically to shop...”

“It’s important to understand why we have persistent vacancies, how can it be utilised, what could happen in that space and what we can do to help that.”

Some business owners may worry that Canterbury is in decline, but under new leadership at Canterbury City Council, plans to bring the market back under one roof are in place and there are a wide range of ideas to keep the city attractive.

It was announced after this year's election that the new Labour-led council would look to reunite the centuries-old market at St George's Street - less than a year after the Conservatives decided to scatter the stalls across a half-mile stretch of the city centre.

With students and tourists accounting for a disproportionate share of consumers compared to other areas in Kent, the challenges Canterbury face differ from those experienced by towns and villages.

Playing into the desires of students and tourists - both of whom are more likely to shun chains in exchange for small businesses - seems to be a smart move, with the Bid team introducing a Canterbury Night Out gift card.

Mrs Carlson knows there’s room for improvement but as far Canterbury Bid is concerned, the city is on the right track.

“I find it encouraging that we are seeing people that want to come to Canterbury and can see the value of doing business here,” she said.

"Tourism numbers are coming back.

“We’re here to solve problems. There are challenges but there’s a lot to be encouraged about.”