A growing number of empty retail units in High Streets around the UK has coincided with an uptick in the popularity of independent pop-up businesses. Could they be the future of Buckinghamshire's High Streets?

Marlow High Street has weathered many changes over the last few years, not least the gradual exodus of all its in-person banking branches, and, as a result, more than a few empty shopfronts have become part and parcel of a walk through the town centre.

Sorbon Estates, a property investor and developer which owns several units on Marlow High Street, has already dipped more than a toe into the world of short-term lets for pop-up businesses, with Creative Collective Pop-Ups settling into Number 72 on the High Street at the end of last year and family-run clothing shop Jam Industries returning for two months last November for the sixth consecutive year.

Could even more of the empty shops in Marlow become home to a revolving door of new and diverse enterprises? Marketing Manager at Sorbon, Jessica Nicholls, thinks it would make the High Street “more interesting”, especially for intermittently visiting tourists and day-trippers.

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“Pop-up shops are something that we’ve been doing in some sense for years, but with more people starting their own businesses online, I think there is more of an interest now in seeing whether that can carry over to an in-person store.

“It gives people the chance to test the waters without too much of a commitment, and the High Street benefits from that novelty, too. It works all around, really.”

Speaking back in October, Sinéad Bernhauser, one of the founding members of Creative Collective, described the welcome she had received from shoppers in Marlow as “so supportive” – and the access to customers coming from far and wide to shop in Marlow can help boost the profile of burgeoning entrepreneurs.

It's no surprise, then, that the number of pop-up shops in the UK increased by 18 per cent during 2023, a trend that – if it continues – could help breathe fresh life into Buckinghamshire – and the country’s – High Streets.

A spokesperson from Sorbon Estates said: "We find pop-up businesses bring a dynamic tapestry to Marlow, weaving innovation, creativity and community nicely together.

"We have been championing pop-up initiatives since 2012 and continue to find it a win-win approach. We like to support our tenants on their individual journeys and have found a pop-up route can be an effective and low-risk way to test a new concept - it allows for creativity without the borders of a more traditional lease.

"These temporary spaces not only showcase entrepreneurial spirit but also redefine the traditional retail landscape. This of course means a unit is being used and not lying empty - creating revenue while providing a more diverse and innovative flavour to Marlow's community."