RENT increases and shoppers' changing tastes have closed 40 per cent of shops in part of Bournemouth town centre.
The Lansdowne end of Old Christchurch Road has a slew of "to let" signs above empty premises whose doormats are littered with unopened letters.
The worst pocket, between the roundabout and Wootton Mount, has five closed daytime businesses out of 13, including O'Briens Sandwich Bar, tbh Grill, and Loans for Goods.
Roger Parker, the town centre manager for Bournemouth Tourism, said: "A lot of landlords think they have to carry high rents because it's Bournemouth."
Steve Philipo, owner of Strictly Beats for 14 years, said: "The rents have been increasing, and rents also help decide your business rates.
"Average rents are £15,000-£20,000 a year. When I first got the shop it was £44 a week. This area was like a ghost town. Over the last year or two it's started to go back that way."
Professor Chris Brady, the dean of Bournemouth University business school, said niche traders could still survive and pointed to Le Crème Brulee, a patisserie that cooks its own food and is popular with the French community.
But he said the area was more known for nightclubs and added: "Today people want to know what they are getting when they go into an area. Mixed retail is not what we do these days."
Most bars in the area and late night restaurants are still open, apart from the pub Label which shut after its parent company went into administration.
Further down towards the pedestrian area, the majority of premises are open but there are several empty premises and two restaurants are temporarily closed.
Footfall counters have found Old Christchurch Road losing shoppers while Commercial Road has been gaining them.
Nigel Hedges, president of the Chamber of Trade, said business in Bournemouth goes through cycles and pointed out recent success on Old Christchurch Road around Beales.
