Only the Belfast and Derry City Council areas have more grocery stores than Newry and Mourne latest government figures reveal. Despite this the number of stores in the district has dropped from the 2008 peak of 85. As of September 2013 there were 75 grocery stores in the District a figure only bettered by Belfast (270) and Derry (95). The figures were released by Finance Minister Simon Hamilton who said that the data was sourced from the Inter-Departmental Business Register which contains information on all businesses in the UK. Minister Hamilton also revealed following a question from south Down MLA Sean Rogers that of October 31 2013 there were 909 vacant non-domestic (business) premises in the District.
11th December 2013
Newry Reporter
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