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On Ste-Catherine St. W., in the heart of what once was Canada’s premier retail artery, it’s hard not to notice the vacant storefronts.

On the south side of one block, five out of 15 storefronts are empty. On another block, a temporary store selling men’s suits at liquidation prices has replaced part of a two-storey HMV.

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On the stretch between Crescent St. and Union Ave., 19 of 136 storefronts — almost 14 per cent — appear to be vacant.

With the recent announcement a Garage clothing store on the street will be closing, along with the adjoining Dynamite location (the two brands are owned by the same Montreal-based parent company), it’s easy to assume Ste-Catherine St. is struggling.

But retail analysts, commercial real estate experts and the local merchants association say that appearance is deceiving.

Ste-Catherine St. isn’t on the decline, they say. Despite some concerns, all of them are optimistic about the future of Montreal’s most iconic shopping street.