High streets and secondary shopping centres are likely to lag behind primary shopping centres and retail warehousing when it comes to reducing void levels in the next year.
A survey of 330 retail property professionals found only 31% expect a reduction of voids in secondary shopping centres, while 27% think voids on high streets will fall.
However, respondents were more positive about the prime shopping centre market, with 40% anticipating a reduction in retail warehousing voids and 38% expecting a reduction in prime shopping centre voids.
Retail property listing specialist CompletelyRetail.co.uk surveyed a mix of property developers and owners, retailers and consultants.
It found retailers can expect rents to remain steady in 2011. Only 23% predicted even a small increase.
Dominic Millar, managing director of CompletelyRetail.co.ukās owner Squeeze, said he saw more investment from landlords in marketing retail properties than 12 months ago.
But there is an āapparent lack of confidence across the retail property professional spectrum that anything substantial can be done to tackle the problem in the near futureā, he said.
Paul Moody, head of retail agency at Colliers International UK, said: āThe problem is being compounded by the freeze in the property development pipelines.ā
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