The historic and popular cathedral city of Lincoln is the largest urban centre in the largely rural countyof Lincolnshire and is its strategic commercial and administrative hub. The city serves a wide catchmentcontaining numerous small market towns, making Lincoln a focal point for retailing, commerce, andtourism in the region. The city is located circa 55 miles (86km) south-east of Sheffield, approximately40 miles (64km) north-east of Nottingham and some 48 miles (77km) north of Peterborough. London issituated circa 155 miles (249km) to the south.

Lincoln benefits from being the dominant retail destination for a large geographical area with the nearestregional competition being Nottingham, over 39 miles (63km) distant. City centre floorspace is estimatedat approximately 1.51m sq ft, ranking the city 33/200 of the PROMIS centres. Lincoln has a linear centralshopping area, focussed on the High Street, which extends northwards from the A15 as far as Steep Hill,which links the city centre with the cathedral and castle quarter.Due to the natural footfall barriers of St Mary’s Street and the Guildhall, the city has a particularlycompact prime retailing pitch, regarded as the section of the pedestrianised High Street extendingbetween Saltergate and Cornhill where the Waterside Shopping Centre is located.