LIKE most high streets, Oxford City Centre has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Once popular shops are now just empty units. 

Non-essential retailers were forced to close three times over the last 12 months, under national lockdowns introduced by the government to stop the rising coronavirus infection rates. 

Lockdowns came at terrible times for retailers relying on trade from big shopping occasions like Black Friday, Christmas, and Valentines Day.

Many customers turned to online shopping instead. 

As a result, business owners have had to rely on government grants and schemes to survive. 

Shops were only allowed to reopen for the first time this year on April 12 but high-street giants like Primark documented record sales.  

Town was busy for the first time in half a year with hundreds of people arriving early-doors to queue up outside of the shops. 

So, more than a year on since the pandemic, how many shops in Oxford survived?

The Oxford Mail visited Queen Street, High Street, Cornmarket Street, The Clarendon Centre, Broad Street, The Covered Market and Magdalen Street to see how many units were empty in the key shopping areas. 

Here are the results: 

Broad Street

Fudge Kitchen, Broad Street

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Wendy's News, Broad Street

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Bravissimo has moved to Queen Street, closing the unit on Broad Street.

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Mountain Warehouse is closing down on Broad Street

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Experience Oxfordshire, Broad Street

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High Street

Patisserie Valerie, High Street

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Empty units near The Covered Market

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Another empty unit on the corner of Alfred Street

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The Mitre Pub is still closed but is expected to reopen this year after a £16m facelift - read more here>>>

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The University of Oxford Shop

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The Covered Market

Cards Galore, The Covered Market

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East 2 West, The Covered Market

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Queen Street

Flight Centre, Queen Street

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Vape Store, Queen Street

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Burrows and Hare, Queen Street

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Topshop and Topman, Queen Street

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Hotter, Queen Street

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The Clarendon Centre

H&M in The Clarendon Centre has closed, leaving the H&M in the Westgate Centre 

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Magdalen Street

Debenhams, Magdalen Street

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The former Schuh shop is expected to reopen as the American chain Wendy's - read more here>>> 

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Cornmarket Street

Starbucks, Cornmarket Street

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Burger King, Cornmarket Street

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The unit by the Golden Cross has been stripped of all its branding

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Boswells Of Oxford has plans to become a luxury hotel, read more here>>>

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