Several towns around the world are experiencing continuous desertification of their town centres. Even though avenues of resistance to this negative trend have been raised, there are very few empirical studies that call this phenomenon into question. Furthermore, no previous research has examined the intersection of retailer associations’ and customers’ perceptions of town centre commercial decline. The current study identifies and investigates the factors that contribute to resistance to the decline in centre-city patronage. According to the findings, critical drivers include the shop’s certification or labelling, access capabilities (e.g., parking), digital solutions, public governance or authorities’ co-participation. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.