Great reasons to open a retail business in Otley
Otley has a population of around 14,000 people, while West Yorkshire is home to 2.4 million people, with more than 1 million of them living within a 10-mile radius of Otley. A proposed ‘East of Otley’ development currently in planning would bring an additional 700 homes to the town
In our 2024 Town Benchmarking Survey, when asked on a scale of 10 (high) to 1 (low) how likely Town Centre Users would be to recommend a visit to Otley the average score was 9 out of 10.
Mirroring the National average, A1 Shops (48%) make up the majority of the ground floor units in Otley, followed by A3 Restaurants and Cafes (11%) and D1 Non-Residential Institutions (9%), so there is plenty of room for growth. See our homepage to see which business sectors have a presence in the town and identify gaps.
Businesses tend to stay here and many of them thrive… Almost 80% of respondents to our Business Survey have been operating in the town for more than a decade.
According to our Town Benchmarking Survey of 2024, town centre Saturday Footfall in Otley was the highest figure recorded at the weekend since benchmarking began in the Town Centre and a 23% increase on the 2023 average. Non-Market Day Footfall was the highest recorded in Otley.
The town has abundant parking at the three supermarkets, in three council-run car parks and with on-street parking.
Retail businesses get supportive backing from groups such as Otley Business Improvement District.
There is a wide choice of sites available that match requirements. Current commercial lettings on Zoopla can be found here.
Local commercial property agents include:
- Ackroyd Dent 0113 2509596
- DE Commercial 01943 662662
Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate agents are also instructed on Otley properties:
- Dacres Commercial 0113 3863100
- Fox Lloyd Jones 0113 2431133
- Hayfield Robinson 01943 968522
- Heaney Mickelthwaite 0113 2451622
- Malcolm Stuart 01937 530853
- Starkeys 01274 307910
- Walker Singleton 0113 848 0101
Local landlords also let commercial space on their estates:
- PH Properties 01943 463477
- Atkinson Associates 0113 2443242 (Wharfebank Business Park)
A number of historical and landmark buildings and sites around the town have become available offering potential for development, refurbishment and repurposing.