With so much new retail development planned over the next decade, it is vital that retailers, investors and developers conduct detailed and careful research before investing in a location.

This supplement provides a guide to the top 20 retail locations in the UK and, for the first time, projects their future position in 2017. The forecast is based on planned large-scale developments such as Liverpool One, Nottingham’s Broadmarsh and Bristol’s Cabot Circus. Some centres will rise in the rankings and some will fall. Understanding performance at ground level is vital because, although new schemes will improve a location overall, existing pitches could be hit hard through relocation or resulting redirection of footfall and spend.

The City Plaza in Birmingham is a good case in point – six years ago it was the place to be for more upmarket brands. Now, post-Bullring, it is about 70 per cent vacant, occupied by short-term lets and more downmarket independent retailers. There is no doubt that the Bullring has improved Birmingham significantly and it is one of the few shopping centres, like Bluewater, Trafford Centre and Meadowhall, where locating is a must. Yet, for every winner there are always losers, which makes it so important, through better research, to stay ahead of the game.

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