Leeds public say city centre should have more independent and experience-focused shops amid store closures

We headed out onto the streets of Leeds to ask members of the public what they think the high street will look like in five years.

River Island is one of the latest high street favourites to announce a number of store closures.

The Leeds Birstall Park River island and the Rochdale River Island are among the 33 stores the company has said will close in January 2026.

One man said: “There is no more high street, all the shops are closing so where is the economy, where is the growth, growth where, on my toenail?”

A woman said: “It’d definitely be good to have more independent shops and things like that, like especially in the Trinity Centre I know there's a lot of kind of chain shops which is good but also I think having independent shops would be really good as well.

“I know there's a lot more in Headingley and stuff but I think if you put them in the city centre where people go more often and things and make it easier for those people who are owning small businesses to afford the rent in the city centre then I think that would be a really good move.”

Another member of the public said: “People can put their car while they will go to the shopping centres without any cost and or with less price like £1 or less than £1 or £2.”

A man said: “I think the best shops are not just concerned about selling their goods but also creating an experience, so maybe the whole thing will be a bit more experiential and customer focused in a few years time.”