Hundreds of retailers have celebrated a bumper year of trade despite adverse conditions – but others have succumbed to a multitude of outside pressures.

Increased rents, higher employers’ contributions and the continued rise of online shopping has caused footfall to tumble in many areas of Kent.

It has led to 2024 proving to be another desperately tricky year for many of our much-loved brands and boutiques.

However, it hasn’t been all doom-and-gloom.

Although throngs of traders have packed up others have taken their place - with some of the nation’s most popular brands also set to hit the county next year.

One of the most high-profile casualties to fall, though, was Ted Baker. The business behind the fashion brand’s UK shops, No Ordinary Designer Label Limited (NODL), fell into administration in March.

It led to the British-based clothing giant shutting several of its branches during the following weeks, including in Bromley and its concessions stand at Fenwick in Canterbury.

The remaining 31 of its 46 stores later closed throughout the year, with its final two Kent branches at Ashford Designer Outlet and Bluewater Shopping Centre closing their shutters in August when the business called it a day on UK streets.

A trio of shops also ceased trading when The Body Shop, founded by Dame Anita Roddick in 1976, went into administration in February after previous forecasts for how much funding it would need to keep going proved too low.

Although five Kent stores lived to fight another day, the move resulted in a slew of closures and job losses - notably branches at Westwood Cross in Thanet, Hempstead Valley in Gillingham and County Square in Ashford having to shut.

Meanwhile, 147 workers were made redundant when Folkestone Fixings Limited (FFX), a tools and hardware retailer based in Folkestone, Ashford and Lympne, closed in September.

A further 240 employees at the Whitstable branch of ISG lost their jobs on the same day when the international construction giant collapsed into administration - albeit 95 were saved after a takeover by family firm construction specialists Morris & Spottiswood Group of the site last month.

Furthermore, Bluewater saw the departure of American fashion powerhouse Tommy Hilfiger in January. Previously based in the Lower Guildhall next to Diesel and Monsoon, the decision left the company with one sole Kent store at Ashford Designer Outlet.

However, arguably the biggest Kent egress was Bluewater’s announcement in September that its flagship store, House of Fraser, would be leaving the Greenhithe shopping centre after 25 years. Originally earmarked for November, a new closing date has been set for today (December 29).

But shoppers will not have to wait long to see the soon-to-be vacant 133,000 sq ft unit filled.

Plans have already been drawn up by Next to take its place as the clothing giants look set to triple in size from their existing spot in the mall.

In recent weeks, Bluewater has seen three new companies join its ranks, too. Outwear brand Belstaff started trading at the centre on October 24, cosmetics brand Aesop opened on November 16 and Swedish fashion brand Lindex moved in on November 28.

This was alongside the addition of Zara sister companies Bershka and Pull&Bear joining in November, as well as on-the-go snack brand, The Bagel Factory, unveiling its branch on the ground floor of its Winter Garden Food Court last week.

Meanwhile, Aldi opened on the Isle of Sheppey while Oliver Bonas took over a former Topshop store.

The long-awaited arrival of the lifestyle retailer in Whitefriars, Canterbury, saw the business open its doors at the end of August. Making it now the largest branch in Kent, it was one of many new additions to the city centre.

In the Marlowe Arcade, Crew Clothing began trading at the former Ecco store in May while Lucy & Yak filled the void left by fellow clothing chain, Weird Fish, in October. The Ivy Brasserie also welcomed new customers in the nearby Parade later that month.

Likewise, the Medway Towns saw the arrival of both Plan Burrito and a new B&M to replace the former Wilko store in Gillingham High Street. This was alongside the addition of Poundstretcher in Strood last week.

Ashford also saw Slim Chickens fill the former Comptoir Libanais unit at its Designer Outlet, with Monsoon, Trespass and Birkenstock also joining its ranks earlier this year.

On the other hand, dozens of jobs were lost when flooring chain Carpetright was sold to Tapi Carpets in July. The company, established by Lord Harris of Peckham in 1988, soon shut more than 200 shops – including 10 in Kent. Despite its branches in Canterbury and Gillingham being rescued by Bensons for Beds, the county's remaining eight shops closed for good.

In what was something of a less surprising move, retail stalwarts, Peacocks, said farewell to its stores in both Ashford and Chatham Dockside Outlet in March and October respectively - the former of which also saw its Select store in County Square close just weeks prior.

Although both units in Ashford remain empty, Peacocks at Dockside is to be replaced by fashion selection brand, Choice, when it moves upstairs to the bigger unit in the New Year.

Despite this, food lovers were still left powerless in witnessing the closure of several of their favourite restaurants.

The biggest name to suffer losses was KFC when it waved goodbye to a trio of its Kent branches in June. When its franchise holders went into administration, restaurants in Market Square, Dover, The Mall in Maidstone and in Roman Way, Crayford, all permanently closed.

This was alongside the departure of Costa Coffee in King Street, Maidstone in January, The Long Reach Beefeater in Whitstable in July, and Kaspa’s Desserts in Canterbury High Street in September - albeit the latter is poised to soon be replaced by a chippy called Fish Bros.

What’s more, the ongoing, albeit nationwide, closure of several banks showed no signs of stopping throughout the year. Lloyds shut its branch in Strood, while NatWest called it a day there and in Dover, Gravesend, Larkfield, Paddock Wood, Rainham and Ramsgate.

Another sector which faced several axes was garden centres. Bosses of Preston Gardens and the adjoining Coppers Bistro near Wingham closed on August 27 having traded for 10 years.

They were followed just days later by family-run Handcocks Farm Nursery in Shadoxhurst, who were founded by husband-and-wife team Bill and Daphne Hollands in 1993.

Meanwhile, plans still remain underway to demolish Dillywood Garden Centre, between Higham and Strood, and replace it with 12 four-bed detached homes.

Yet the year turned out much better for employees and fans of Dobbies.

Although the company announced it would be closing 17 of its UK stores, Kent’s two in Ashford and Gillingham were not included on the list, meaning they continue to serve hundreds of customers every day from its sites at Eureka Park and in Courteney Road.

In contrast, several workers at Shoe Zone have not been so lucky. Earlier this month, four of its 12 Kent stores in Ashford, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Gillingham were among those across the UK confirmed to be shutting for good - a decision the company says is because of the government’s recent budget.

The same can also be said for home improvement chain, Homebase. Seventy-four of its stores across the UK, including six in Broadstairs, Chatham, Folkestone, Herne Bay, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, have all gone on the market. The DIY giant confirmed on November 13 it had appointed administrators following widespread speculation it was about to make the move.

But it's not just national chains which have had a topsy-turvy 12 months.

Faversham-based Compton’s Kitchens began trading in Tenterden High Street in January, while in the summer, a newsagents in St Johns Hill, Sevenoaks - left empty for 30 years - was transformed into a new confectionary shop called Retro Zo’s Sweets.

Canterbury also saw the arrival of a new toy and bric-a-brac shop which opened in its former Wilko store in St George’s Street shortly before Christmas.

Despite these additions, departures remained very much the theme in Kent town centres this year, with some emporiums waving goodbye after trading for years, even decades in some cases.

One of the most surprising closures happened just two weeks into 2024 when the boss of a sweet baking empire which swept the county unexpectedly closed four of her five shops.

Cheran’s Bakery announced it was shutting its Faversham, Canterbury, Maidstone, and Rochester stores with immediate effect on January 10.

Owner Cheran Friedman began the business journey in June 2022 when she opened her first bakery in West Street, Sittingbourne. But she was forced to make the difficult decision following “ever-increasing rents, rates and utility bills” to keep the shop in the Swale town as her sole venture.

Meanwhile, Eleto Chocolate Cafe, which shut its Folkestone store in April, then closed its eatery in Guildhall Street, Canterbury just two months later.

The business had already hit the headlines earlier this year when it named a cocktail "Get ya t**s out" and saw inspectors discover “very poor” cleaning standards with staff failing to wash their hands shortly beforehand. Thankfully for foodies, it was quickly replaced by a cafe called King+Guild.

Eleto though was followed by the closure of The Green Garage in Walmer, Deal.

The independent garage closed after 96 years in September when its lease ran out and long-standing boss, Archie Shorter, 83, called it a day. The family business in Station Road is estimated to have carried out more than 20,000 MOTs since the early 1980s alone and also specialised in maintaining classic cars.

It was also "the end of an era" in Gravesend when the town's only music shop shut its doors after almost three decades. Bosses at Elephant Music said the decision was made following the “result of a steady downturn in business” and the sale of the building in June.

Nevertheless, the owner of a coffee shop which opened inside a former tanning salon told Ashford residents he will “bring something new to the town”.

Bilal Ahmad welcomed his first customers to Espresso Lounge in Middle Row on the first weekend of June.

It came just days before a Danish homeware and lifestyle brand called Søstrene Grene launched its first Kent branch at Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells.

Yet the second half of the year continued to prove more problematic than successful for several of the county’s most-loved traders.

One included long-running Faversham restaurant Read's which had boasted a Michelin star for 20 years.

David and Rona Pitchford, who said "Father Time” caught up with them, started the restaurant in Painters Forstal in 1977 before moving it to Macknade Manor, off Canterbury Road, in 2000.

Other outlets which begrudgingly waved goodbye to Kent included family-run nutrition shop, Harvest Health Foods, in Queen Street, Ramsgate, plus The Chambers music venue in Cheriton Place, Folkestone, Whitstable High Street diner Around the Clock and Munch House cafe in Maidstone after 23 years.

Dozens of customers are also unlikely to forget The American Comic Shop.

The Chatham store opened under the ownership of June and Kerry Earl in July 1993 after the husband-and-wife pair were both made redundant. But, after 31 years, the duo decided it was time to shut for retirement and to leave the pressures of running a business behind.

Yet despite it being the end of the road for many traders, residents across the county still have plenty of high-profile brands to look forward to in 2025.

One of the most exciting will no doubt be the addition of Kent’s latest Primark store.

The Irish multi-national fashion retailer announced in the summer it will be coming to Tunbridge Wells for the first time next year. It came after the company purchased the former BHS building in Calverley Road shortly after the departure of Homeland Furniture, which occupied the unit previously.

As well as its soon-to-be new unit at Bluewater, Next will also be opening its shutters when it arrives in Canterbury in the spring.

Alongside Costa Coffee, the two retail giants are to replace the long-abandoned unit of Mothercare at Wincheap Retail Park which has sat empty for the past five years.

They will also join several supermarkets adding to their list of Kent stores during the next 12 months.

These include two new Aldi stores heading to Ashford. The German discount chain controversially saw plans for a new shop on A28 Canterbury Road, Kennington, given the green light in March.

Alongside its existing store in Victoria Road which opened in 2018, the budget retail giant is set to open its third Ashford store at the same time as one in Canterbury Road in mid-2025.

The firm submitted plans for a store in Waterbrook Avenue, just off the A2070, in 2021 and saw the supermarket approved two months ago.

Aldi is just one of many developments looking to move into Waterbrook Park, which sits off A2070 Bad Munstereifel Road.

Plans for a new Taco Bell drive-thru and Ashford’s fourth KFC were approved in May, while a David Lloyd health club is set to be built on land opposite.

But that is not all to come for the town.

Groundworks on a controversial new McDonald’s outlet - also its fourth in the town - are now underway in Chart Road ahead of the 24-hour-drive-thru’s summer 2025 opening.

Both The Co-op and Greggs are to also add to their list of Kent stores in the months to come. The former will open its doors on the controversial Spring Acres housing estate in Bapchild, Sittingbourne, while Greggs is set to begin its journey in Whitstable High Street.

Furthermore, Sainsbury’s has already said plans to extend its Tonbridge branch into the former Beales department store at Angel Centre are part of a £20 million plan which will see 50 new jobs created by the time of its completion at the end of 2025.

Meanwhile, smaller businesses set to join our streets next year include the reopening of The King’s Head pub in Wye, near Ashford, Wraps and Wings in Palace Street, Canterbury in January, as well as a potential bingo hall in the former Gadcet computer unit in Chatham High Street.

A new cafe is also due to open in the second half of the year when the £6.6 million Leas Lift restoration project in Folkestone is complete.

However, Lidl’s hopes of building a store at Cowstead Corner, on Sheppey, remain up in the air after its planning permission was recently overturned by the High Court following a long-running dispute with rivals Aldi.

The legal battle could also see the delaying of Aldi’s own newly-approved store at the former Silver Spring site in Folkestone, which Lidl has opposed.

It means both stores are likely to arrive in the latter stages of 2025 should they be built at all next year.

Likewise, bulk-buying discount chain, Costco, is to open its first store in either Maidstone or Medway in the near future to add to its existing 29 warehouses in the UK and more than 800 worldwide - meaning there is still much scope for business success across our county in the year ahead.