The impact of a year of the coronavirus pandemic is plain to see on Bromley High St, where more than 20 retail units lie empty. Research by the Local Data Company found a net total of 4,690 high street chain store outlets permanently closed across Britain in 2020. Non-essential shops have been forced shut on three occasions since March 2020, when the first lockdown was announced. After reopening on June 15, November again saw them close for a month. Little over a month after they reopened on December 2, a lengthy lockdown saw shutters fall until April 12. The north end of the high street has a dense concentration of empty units, a few of which looked to have been neglected for a while.