A cost of living crisis combined with the rise of online shopping, and a multitude of other issues, has seen retail stores struggle in recent years. However, they say history repeats itself, so who is to say we will not go back to a time when shopping in your local high street becomes the norm again.
We asked our readers what shops they would like to open in Portsmouth in 2025 and received a fantastic response. While some of the suggestion were calling for a return of stores long gone, there were lots of new stores on the list that have not had a presence in the city before.
There was also a call for new independent shops to open which deserves recognition but whose hypothetical existence is difficult to include in this list.
Without further ado, here are 29 shops that you would like to see open in Portsmouth this year:
29. Urban Outfitters
With Portsmouth being a University city it would make sense for Urban Outfitters to come to Portsmouth as has been suggested by our readers. Photo: Other
30. Woolworths
Ah the memories! Whether it was for pick and mix or the latest CDs, Woolworths supplied generations of shoppers. The last shop closed in 2009 and while its nice to dream, it's fair to say that a Woolworths opening in Portsmouth this year is a longshot. Photo: newsfocus1 - stock.adobe.com