Britain is about to become a nation of shopkeepers again, or at least shop owners, as buy-to-let investors increasingly turn from the residential market to commercial properties in search of a higher return and greater stability.
The trend, which has been driven by stringent new tax and lending rules for buy-to-let landlords, has led to a three-fold increase in the number of investors seeking to diversify into small shops or parades, according to Allsop, the auction house.