2020 was the year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Government restrictions changed how businesses could operate and many businesses started doing takeaways, deliveries, and click and collect. There was also some government support for businesses, and payment for staff on furlough. Otherwise more businesses would have closed.

Press on Changes in 2020 for a bigger (pdf) version of the map showing the changes.

Key:
Green is a shop that was vacant at the start of the year which is now occupied.
Yellow means a change of business.
Red is a vacant shop premises that was occupied at the start of the year.
Red question mark means I don’t know whether a business has closed

Change in 2007 ( 6 green, 5 yellow, 10 red ) – Net Loss 4
Change in 2008 ( 10 green, 8 yellow, 13 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2009 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2010 ( 9 green, 6 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 4
Change in 2011 ( 2 green, 8 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2012 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 1
Change in 2013 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2014 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2015 ( 6 green, 8 yellow, 6 red ) – Net Change 0
Change in 2016 ( 10 green, 5 yellow, 5 red ) – Net Gain 5
Change in 2017 ( 3 green, 6 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 4
Change in 2018 ( 7 green, 6 yellow, 4 red ) – Net Gain 3
Change in 2019 ( 4 green, 3 yellow, 7 red ) – Net Loss 3
Change in 2020 ( 6 green, 1 yellow, 8 red, 2 red ?s ) – Net Loss 2-4

Welcome back to:

Acacia, rebuilt after a fire

Welcome to:

Al Mulino

BeClean

Chic it Up

Karim’s Trims

Qué Pasa

Abingdon Nail Spa moved to Stert Street from West St Helen Street where they traded as TK Nails.

Goodbye to:
Abingdon Sports
Eileen
H Samuel
M&Co
Pandora
The Old Chemist
TSB

I am not sure about:
Gifts and Gallery – where one of the staff told me they were closing but there is no notice on the shop door or website. So they may continue in another form.
Ox Vapours – stopped trading from Stert Street after a flood and could be waiting for the premises to be put right. They do now operate from a business park in Kingston Bagpuize.

Peacocks are having a long running closing down sale but still have stock in the shop.

Change to business in same premises
Sean Antony moved back from two to one salon after the original salon had a revamp, and Karim’s Trims took his place in Lombard Street.

(let me know any mistakes in this annual roundup)

Stuart sent me a link for the Aldi Abingdon Consultation. Aldi would like to establish a new store near the development in North West Abingdon and want people to have their say at https://aldiconsultation.co.uk/abingdon/. It would be a modestly sized food store with parking for 103 cars and 40 jobs.

The proposed site is the top end of the circus field where there was an archaeological dig two weeks ago.

The Vale of White Horse District Council are urging us to support local traders as they confirm the free parking days in the run up to Christmas. In Abingdon they will be the Saturdays (5, 12, 19 December) .

December 5th is also Small Business Saturday.

People were volunteering in one the charity shops today, decorating the window and getting the shop ready to open. Such shops will be permitted to reopen from Wednesday at 1am.

The rest of the winter will be uncertain for traders. There could be further closures.

Oxfordshire will be in the new tier 2 …