THE Covid-19 pandemic has cost the high street more than half a year's worth of potential sales, according to a new report.

In an annual economic assessment by Centre for Cities, Brighton lost 28 weeks' worth of high street sales between the first lockdown and the onset of the Omicron variant.

Oxford was worst affected in the South East, with a loss of 41 weeks of sales, while Worthing saw the fewest weeks of lost sales in the region, with just 17 - roughly four and a half months.

However, while some city centres saw an increase in empty store fronts as a result of lost sales due to lockdowns, Brighton saw no change in city centre vacancy rates.

Nationally, Covid-19 has cost businesses in city and large town centres more than a third (35 per cent) of their potential takings since March 2020, with central London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Cardiff worst affected.

Across the 52 city and town centres studied by the report, 2,426 commercial units became vacant during the pandemic, compared with just 1,374 between 2018 and 2020.

The report found that high streets in economically stronger places saw more business closures during the pandemic, but added that they will likely recover quickly due to their higher levels of affluence once restrictions end and if workers return to the office.

Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, said: "While it has been a difficult time for businesses in Brighton and Worthing, their positions as seaside resorts has meant that they probably haven’t been as harmed as much in the short-term as they otherwise could have been.

"Added to this, their strong economies mean that I’m confident that they are well placed to bounce back quickly from the pandemic as life returns to normal."

The report warned that less prosperous places in the South East could face a wave of new business closures later this year, and called on policymakers to run campaigns to encourage leisure visitors and provide part-time season tickets to encourage workers to head back to the office and stimulate the local economy.

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