UK retail space being taken over by tattoo artists and e-cigarette stores

High Streets in the UK are undergoing somewhat of a transformation as tattoo parlours and shops selling electronic cigarettes are increasingly taking over empty retail space.

Industry analyst LDC has said the number of spaces used by tattoo artists in the UK has risen by 79% in the last six years, with 2,288 body art shops now open.

According to Bloomberg, most analysts predict that the shift from the likes of bookmakers and pawnshops to tattoos and vaping devices is not likely to last, as fashions change.

"These are relatively new concepts that haven’t been tested through the thick and thin of economic and real estate market cycles," Hugo Clark, director of real estate at consultant Deloitte told Bloomberg.

Tattoos are becoming more and more popular as they become more acceptable to many in the workplace and in the general public.

The number of tobacconists in Britain has quadrupled in the same period, as the e-cigarette trend takes hold. The 1,783 tobacco shops are now primarily those that sell vaping devices.

The general shift towards online retail has affected various industries as Britain becomes a world leader in e-commerce, but Vape Emporium owner Andy Logan said that people are comforted by personal service.

"People come in and they are physically shaking at the idea of giving up cigarettes," he said. "They’re anxious and we need to be in front of these people reassuring them."