Since the pandemic, Vancouver’s downtown core has undergone a visible shift. Notable storefronts have closed — particularly in the Alberni luxury corridor — and the first few months of this year saw lower foot traffic in all areas of the peninsula. 

The Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association — known colloquially as Downtown Van — has been tracking economic data for the area for a number of years. The non-profit represents 7,000 business and property owners in the central 90-block area of the downtown core, and measures the activity happening in the region. Based on that data, the organization has released the updated statistics for its economic dashboard, revealing a number of insights into the health of the region.

Storefront vacancy remains high