Guildford is the principal town in Surrey and boasts a rich retail history, blending modern shopping centres with historic streets. Its High Street is renowned for its charming, historic architecture and diverse range of shops. Over the years, Guildford has flourished into a vibrant retail hub, offering a wide variety of shopping experiences, establishing itself as a key administrative and commercial centre, and earning recognition as one of the UK’s premier retail destinations. Situated 27 miles (43km) south-west of Central London, the town is also adjacent to the picturesque Surrey Hills.

Guildford is a strong regional retailing town and is ranked as one of the most affluent of the PROMIS centres on the PMA affluence indicator . Guildford has a significantly above average proportion of adults of working age categorised within the most affluent AB social group. In contrast it is under represented in the least affluent D and E social groups. Reflecting the demographic profile and spending habits of the Primary Retail Market Area, per capita total retail spending levels in Guildford are well above the PROMIS average (Source: CACI). I

n addition, retail and leisure expenditure within the town is boosted by Guildford’s growing student population. The University of Surrey, (a 10-minute walk from the town centre), had circa 14,750 students in 2023.