Former city shop gets a new lease of life

DOWNSIZING could be the way to breathe new life into Inverness city centre’s empty retail units.

That is the hope of local businessman Salim Ladha, who has opted to convert the former Cleo’s gift shop on Lombard Street into the six unit Studioz 6.

Mr Ladha believes that by subdividing the unit, it will be more affordable and sustainable for small businesses, and end the cycle of opening and closure which has affected the premises in the recent past.

“Because footfall is lower than it used to be, it’s difficult for retail businesses to make it work,” he said.

“We were renting out this unit, but it was just closing every two years, so I thought that if I turned it into small units, I would have at least two or three occupied all the time.”

One tenant is already lined up to take on one of the units next month and Mr Ladha hopes two or three more will follow by the end of the year.

However, rather than the retail sector, Mr Ladha believes the beauty business will offer more long term security, not least because the new tenants are less likely to be in competition with the internet.

“We want to attract tenants who probably already have their own clients – barbers, hairdressers, nail technicians and clinics,” he said.

“I think it will work because a lot of businesses like this are normally on the first floor, but this will give them a chance to be on the ground floor in a busy city centre location and much more accessible.

“We are spending money to bring people back to town.”

Earlier this month, the Inverness Courier highlighted the number of empty shop units in the city centre, with at least 25 lying empty in the Old Town area. However, the Highland capital compares favourably with other parts of the country with a vacancy rate of 7.8 per cent against the national average of 11 per cent.