BOURNEMOUTH town centre is set see a shift from retail towards entertainment and eating out – but shopping will remain “part of the mix”, it is claimed.

As revealed in the Daily Echo, fashion chain New Look has become the second big retailer to announce that its branch in the town would close, after it was ousted by the landlord.

It follows similar news from Wilko, which said its Bournemouth store would close unless it could agree more favourable terms with its landlord.

Dr Jeff Bray, associate professor of consumer behaviour at Bournemouth University, said more people were shopping online and at centres like Castlepoint with free parking.

“But that does leave a clear space for Bournemouth town centre in leisure – and for many, going shopping and trying on things, retail is leisure,” he said.

He said there would be a shift towards activities such as dining out and the evening economy. “But I’ve always said for many, shopping is part of that leisure mix and will remain part of that leisure mix,” he added.

“I think the town centre’s market and Christmas lights and BH2 development have clearly enhanced Bournemouth as a leisure destination but I think that there’s still a way to go if we conceive leisure as some of our European, cosmopolitan town centres that have a culture of dining outdoors.”

New Look won approval in 2020 for a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) which cut its debts but gave landlords more opportunities for to break leases if they could find higher-paying tenants.

Dr Bray said: “It will be interesting to see what goes into the New Look building because I don’t believe in the current climate the landlord would ask New Look to leave unless they had a clear plan for replacement.

“I think it could be very positive.”

Tony Brown, who ran the old Bournemouth-based Beales department store chain as well as its revival in Poole, said big retailers were facing a huge rise in rates.

“I honestly believe that bigger retailers drive footfall in town centres. Every time an M&S closes, footfall diminishes,” he said.

He said of the New Look closure: “I think it’s sad for Bournemouth but I believe that the Dolphin Centre and Kingland and Falkland Square will become the epicentre of retail in the BCP area. I think Saxon Square in Christchurch has god a good chance as well.”

He added: “I think I saw in my two stints at Beales about four town strategies and not one of them came to fruition.”

James Rhodes, general manager of medical supply store GE Bridge & Co, which has been in Bournemouth for 147 years, described the current state of the high street as a “disaster”.

He said: “From Horseshoe Common down to Beales it’s very bad and I don’t know what more they can do. I think a lot of the issue is the landlords of the premises down here are quite inflexible. A lot of them are unreachable let alone willing to drop rents and make it more appealing to open up.

“It’s really, really difficult without retail investing in the town to see how it’s going to change. It’s rates, it’s investment in the town’s infrastructure and obviously all towns are going as much vehicle free as they can which doesn’t help retail.

“Everything seems to be against retail at the moment.”

Another business owner in Old Christchurch Road, who did not wish to be named, said: “As soon as Covid started landlords tried their hardest to increase the rent. We had to fight to stay here. We said if the rent would increase we would just leave because, if you look outside, there’s not exactly a shortage of places to choose from.”

He added: “There’s a lot of focus on making areas more pedestrianised but we live in a society that relies more on cars.”