There's fewer empty shops in Hastings and Napier than the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic

The shopping strip along Emerson St in Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor

If you measure economic success by the number of empty shops, then the only conclusion is that Hawke's Bay is doing well - there's fewer now than at the start of the pandemic.

Hawke's Bay property analyst firm Turley and Co surveys the number of empty shops around the Napier, Hastings, Havelock North and Taradale town centres and publishes its findings every six months.

Its latest report released on Monday stated there had been "very good resilience to Covid effects" when it came to the number of shops and eateries remaining occupied rather than closing down.

In March 2020, when the pandemic first reached the region, there were 35 empty shops across the town centres and 473 occupied shops.

In September 2021, there were 33 empty shops and 476 occupied.

"[It is] considerably better than some pre-pandemic effects commentary suggested was likely," the report read.

An empty shop on Market St in Hastings CBD.

"The category mix has changed over six years from 2015 to 2021, migrating away from fashion retail that is down [overall] to more hospitality.

"Heretaunga St East [in Hastings] and nearby is now a well-established dining and entertainment district."

However, the month of October 2021 is not included in the data, which has seen Auckland cut off from Hawke's Bay's tourism industry. Its impact will be better represented in the next survey.

The latest figures marked the highest rate of shop occupancy since the first quarter of 2019, which also had an overall occupancy rate of 94 per cent.

Turley and Co property strategist and valuer Pat Turley said it was good to see.

"These figures are remarkable and reflect strong confidence in all sectors of the Hawke's Bay property market, thanks to a strong Hawke's Bay economy."

Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce CEO Karla Lee said she did not find the trend surprising.

"The Hawke's Bay region is thriving and growing, therefore it is not surprising for me to see the number of empty shops decreasing," she said.

"However, businesses are still struggling with the uncertainty of what is to come."

She said the community had been trying hard to support local businesses.

"Hawke's Bay is a flourishing region where the community has come together to support one another. This trend will only increase as we move into a new phase of the Covid-19 response."

In Napier, empty shops on the Emerson St shopping strip increased by two between March 2020 and September 2021, one of the only areas that saw an increase in empty shops.

The report also highlighted that Havelock North remained the standout for shop occupancy at 97 per cent, a figure which has remained steady.