Recent rail strikes and the cost of living crisis are among the reasons for the lack of people on the high street.
Figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium show use of local retailers dropped by 15 per cent last month compared to only 10 per cent in other parts of the country.
Glasgow and Edinburgh have faired fairly well compared to other areas but experts are most concerned about towns and smaller cities which aren’t big shopping hubs.
Our reporter Susan Ripoll is in one of those areas and joins us live now from Hamilton.
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