I have to agree with the stance that Belfast doesn't have much to worry about in terms of retail suffering any time soon. BHS/Debenhams etc all seemed a bit lost as brands and completely failed to attract Gen Y/Z shoppers, which ultimately led to their demise. I could be badly wrong but I would be astounded if Topshop/Topman isn't acquired. They are still a very relevant and valuable brand for younger shoppers, and for fashion on budget.
Between my degrees I worked in management for a well known fast-fashion brand with a fairly large presence in NI. Our footfall and spending figures were always amongst the highest anywhere in the UK, even when compared to stores in larger cities. At meetings and during conference calls, with colleagues and upper management across the country, the Irish, and particularly Belfasters have a big reputation for being shoppers, and not afraid to spend in general.
I also think we've steadily developed a fantastic retail core recently, and the city has transitioned away from the basic, uninspired offering provided by typical mid-sized regional centres. Naturally, this has provided some casualties and empty units as some stores are pushed out, but in recent years we've gained Anthropologie, Oliver Bonas, Solstrene Grene, Nespresso and others. Our Primark will become one of the largest in the world when it has fully reopened. New Look are opening a flagship in Victoria Square, which itself is one of the best Shopping centres on these islands. Zara spent a fortune renovating their Donegal Place store. Our HoF is one of the single busiest in the UK. We still have Ireland's only Apple store. The jewel in the crown for me, Flannels is absolutely fantastic and imo has a better menswear dept than Dublin's Brown Thomas, stocking Balmain, Balenciaga, LV, Vetements, Moncler, Moschino, Off White, Gucci, Raf Simons and a host of other labels in a cutting-edge environment that even 5 years ago I could only have dreamed of having here.
Not to say there isn't a place for nourishing a thriving local retail scene, much like our fantastic independent hospitality and gastro industry, which has held off an influx of subpar and boring chain-cafes and restaurants that plague the rest of the UK. The real problems facing the future of retail in NI lie within the regional towns like Bangor/Ballymena/Coleraine and even Derry imo. They are going to have to do some work to reinvent their failing centres.
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