Oxford’s ailing high street: the economic aftermath of COVID-19

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic all but wiped out high street shopping for the best part of a year, Oxford’s shopping scene was on shaky ground and in a process of transition.

It was only in October 2017 that Westgate Oxford opened. This ambitious £440m shopping centre right in the heart of the city replaced a 1970s shopping centre of the same name and offered Oxford a chance to compete with Bicester Village, a popular outlet shopping centre in Oxfordshire.

This gargantuan 800,000 square foot retail utopia has certainly given the city centre a new lease of life, and an array of new stores, restaurants and amenities such as a John Lewis department store and a Curzon cinema.

Prior to the centre’s opening, Oxford City Council, who renovated the public library in the process, said “it was confident the development would not harm other shops in the rest of the city.”

However, together with the impact of COVID, other shops in Oxford have indeed been harmed and many places have had to shut up shop completely as a result of the rate of change.

Other areas in Oxford that were once high-profile retail hubs have also declined in recent times. The Castle site, The Clarendon Centre, Cornmarket Street and the High Street have all lost business, and shops in some cases, to Westgate Oxford and have been badly hit by the economic fallout of the pandemic.

Like high street stores all across the UK, Oxford’s businesses have taken a big hit during COVID, but they have not been forgotten about by local government.

Oxford City Council has provided more than £40m to support businesses during the pandemic, over 7000 grants to city businesses and £58.25m in rate relief to businesses.

Councillor Mary Clarkson, cabinet member for city centre, said: “We’ve now paid 7,278 grants to support Oxford businesses during the pandemic and we continue to pay grants out every day.

“We want to support Oxford businesses as best we can and we have made it as easy as we can for them to apply for grants online. We’ll also be extending existing grants made for the period up to 16 February so that businesses automatically get their grants extended until the end of March.”

As lockdown restrictions begin to ease and high street stores start to open their doors to consumers once again, it’s worth taking a look back at some of the major high street casualties of Oxford’s retail scene during the pandemic.

Who will not be opening after lockdown?

Boswells of Oxford

The closure of Boswells, the city’s age-old department store that first began trading in 1738, has undoubtedly been one of the most high-profile closures in recent times.

Boswells officially ceased trading in February 2020, before the knockout blow of COVID-19. Shutting up shop after more than 280 years due to "adverse retail conditions", it was reported that 70 employees were facing redundancy.

Founded by Francis Boswell, Boswells found success as a travel goods store that became a well-known haberdashery and toy store.

In July 2020, the City Council announced that proposals had been made by Reef Group to turn the Boswells site into a 4-star boutique hotel.

Reef Group’s Will Rohleder said: “This project is an exciting opportunity for a new boutique hotel in Oxford City Centre which will benefit both local residents and the wider Oxford economy. We look forward to working with Oxford City Council and the wider local community to bring forward a scheme which provides excellent new facilities while respecting the site’s heritage.”

STA Travel

STA Travel’s George Street branch is another store that will not be reopening at the end of lockdown, with the firm announcing in August 2020 that it would cease trading.

The firm said: "Over recent months, the company took decisive measures to secure the business beyond Covid-19.

“However, sales have not picked up as anticipated, due to consumer uncertainties, further restrictions and renewed lock-down measures, which are expected to largely continue into 2021."

Debenhams

In January 2021, it was announced that the Debenham’s Oxford branch would not reopen following the end of the UK’s third lockdown, making all staff at the branch redundant in the process.

The decision to close the store was prompted by the site’s landlord who had “alternative plans for the site”.

Debenhams has been a mainstay in the city centre for years and its closure is one of the biggest casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Argos

Although a low-key shopping destination in the city centre, Argos has been a constant in Oxford’s retail landscape for many years.

In November 2020, the firm said that the city centre branch would not reopen after the first lockdown. This decision came just over a year after the company shut its Botley Road Retail Park store.

Take a closer look at how the pandemic has changed Oxford by exploring the map below...