More than 90 units in Croydon’s Whitgift Centre now stand empty, with each visit revealing more vacant shops and a shopping centre looking increasingly bare.
On Thursday (August 6), I returned to the Whitgift Centre to see how the shopping centre has changed since my last visit in September.
Back then, I counted 73 empty units, which was a huge jump from my September 2024 visit, which saw 46.
Now, less than a year later, that figure has reached 93.
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One thing that I discovered to be different was that some large parts of the Whitgift Centre are now closed off, with some areas only accessible to those who know the entry codes.
Several escalators have also been blocked, including the one leading from Allders Square.
Walking through the centre, empty corridors and vacant storefronts have become increasingly common, with some units still waiting for new tenants years after their previous occupants left.
Among the shops that have disappeared are Evans, which closed in 2019, as well as The Body Shop, Rebel Fashion World, Swarovski, and other former retailers.
Perhaps the retailer that had the biggest unit was Superdry, which closed for good last summer and has yet to find someone to take its place.
More recently, Flying Tiger and Claire’s have also closed their Whitgift Centre stores.
Both stores closed in April this year, with Claire’s closing all its stores due to intense online competition.
Holland & Barrett has also disappeared from the centre, although the retailer has since opened a new shop on North End just outside the Whitgift Centre.
Some former businesses have left behind signs that appear frozen in time.
One salon still displays a message telling customers, "We’re moving" to another unit in the Whitgift Centre, with the notice dating back to February 2022.
However, the new location could not be found.
Other units appear to leave shoppers unsure whether they are open or closed.
Trade Secret has a sign telling customers to, "just walk in" but underneath it is another message warning, "dead end".
If the secret is that the store is still operating, it is doing a good job of hiding it.
Elsewhere, the centre has seen efforts to update branding despite units remaining empty.
The former WHSmith signage inside the Whitgift Centre has been replaced with TGJones branding, even though the unit itself remains closed.
TGJones continues to operate from its store downstairs and on North End.
Some major retailers remain, including M&S, which continues to trade despite being surrounded by dozens of empty spaces.
The decline of the Whitgift Centre has happened gradually, with shops disappearing one by one and empty units becoming a familiar sight.
While Croydon has welcomed new businesses elsewhere, large parts of the Whitgift Centre remain quiet, with many vacant units still showing little sign of replacement.
From long-standing stores that closed years ago to more recent departures, each return visit reveals another change in the shopping centre’s landscape.
Years of delays, changes in ownership and revised proposals have fuelled frustration among residents and businesses alike.
Last month, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) took on the freehold of the Whitgift Centre. The deal also included Green Park House on Wellesley Road and the parts of the Allders building not already owned by URW.
The £31.5 million agreement with former owners the John Whitgift Foundation removes a major hurdle for the scheme and gives URW ownership of the site it has spent years trying to redevelop.
Despite the recent progress and a series of public consultations shaping the project’s vision, URW has yet to submit a planning application to the council.
However, it would be unfair of me to treat the state of the Whitgift Centre as the generic view of Croydon’s retail scene.
Allders Parade, which opened gradually between September and December 2025, is fully operating, with Meltin’ Memories, Coco & Nut, and Isle of Flowers thriving.
Higher up in the Croydon scene, Costa del Croydon is back for a third year, with an all-new adults-only Beach Club.
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