CHESTER MP Samantha Dixon has praised the city’s shopping scene which was recently ranked among the top 10 shopping destinations in the country.

As reported by the Standard, Chester was the highest ranked shopping destination in the north of England in this year’s Vitality Rankings.

Created by Newmark’s Consultancy & Analytics team each year, the rankings are compiled using metrics that reflect the drivers of retail health at that time. These include retail unit vacancy rate, the change in vacancy rate, space being adapted for other uses, shopper spend per annum and footfall figures. These rankings have been released each year since 2014.

The city’s MP, Samantha Dixon said: “Here in Chester, we are lucky to have so many diverse businesses that make our highstreets a tapestry of culture, commerce and community.

“When I was first elected, I pledged to make Chester a top retail destination, so it is fantastic to see Chester ranked among the best in the country.

“Over the years, during my time as a councillor and now as the Member of Parliament, our local businesses and highstreets have always remained one of my top priorities. Having chaired the Northgate Member’s Working Group and through my work with the cross organisation High Street Sub Cell focused on supporting highstreets coming out of Covid, I know-very well the acute challenges facing our highstreets.

“It is no secret that it remains a challenging climate for many retail and other local businesses, yet despite these challenges, businesses across Chester have shown impressive levels of resilience and have evolved to meet the needs of their local communities.

“Chester is truly a unique and historic shopping destination, and this news is truly a feather in the cap to all our amazing local businesses and everyone involved in making Chester a top retail destination.”

Celebrating the news, Cllr Richard Beacham, Leader’s champion for the Chester One City Plan, said: “This announcement really shows the power of collaboration. Cheshire West and Chester Council, the Business Improvement District, the businesses, our arts organisations, visitor attractions, street performers and our community and faith organisations all pay a huge role in bringing people to Chester.

“In turn, this brings new businesses, and these bring new people.  In a really difficult time for the UK high street, only the strongest cities will survive. I really believe that in Chester, if we all work together, we can continue to grow our economy, increase the number of people living and working in our city centre, and keep rising to the top of these independent indexes so that we keep attracting new and exciting people, businesses and experiences to be part of where we live.”