Comments below.

There’s no actual problem here to be solved. If people feel they have better uses for a property they should put their money where their mouth is.

there is a problem to be solved. empty shops make shopping areas unattractive. walking through a half empty mall or shopping street is depressive.

i see this all the time in china and in developing countries in general. they build huge malls, and then they can't fill them because there are not enough businesses who can pay the rent being asked. at least there is growth and the place will fill up eventually. but until that happens the place is less attractive.

seeing the same in europe in malls or shopping streets is even worse because it feels like the economy is declining. you have to apply the broken window theory here. the more shops stay empty the less people will go there to visit the remaining shops. their revenue goes down, they can't afford the rent anymore and another shop is empty. if this becomes a trend then you risk that the shops will never come back.

it is therefore in the interest of landlords and the city to keep the streets alive and fill them with businesses that attract people.