High Street
This coverage explores the state and evolution of the UK high street, with reporting on store openings and closures, footfall trends, redevelopment projects, policy impacts, and changing consumer behaviour. Insights are designed to help retail managers and executives understand the challenges and opportunities shaping high street retail operations and strategy.
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Jul- 2023 -5 JulyComment
Is AI retail’s friend or foe?
Generative AI is the latest buzzword to trend its way across the globe. Supercharged by the popularity of the ChatGPT tool released in November 2022, the world’s largest companies have all accelerated their development and adoption of AI into their products and services. It is clear, amidst the hype, that…
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Jun- 2023 -30 JuneHigh Street
WH Smith to not open any more high street stores
WH Smith chief executive Carl Cowling has told the BBC that the retailer will not open any more UK high street stores, instead focusing on UK airports and train stations, as well as openings in the US and European markets. This comes as, over the past 20 years, the retailer…
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9 JuneNews
May records negative retail sales for the first time since 2021
May experienced negative retail sales marking the end of 26 months of positive results, dating back to March 2021, according to new data from accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO. According to BDO’s latest High Street Sales Tracker, total like-for-like (LFL) sales, in-store and online combined, fell by -1.5%. Despite…
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1 JuneNews
WHSmith to bring Toys R Us back to the UK high street
WHSmith and Toys R Us have today announced the locations of nine WHSmith High Street stores which will be unveiling new Toys R Us shop-in-shops from this month to bring the children’s toy brand back to the UK high street. Customers visiting these stores will be welcomed by a life-size…
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Apr- 2023 -20 AprilHigh Street
WH Smith revenues soar 41% amid rebound in travel
WH Smith has welcomed a strong performance in the first half of the year, with revenues rising by 41% to £859m, in part boosted by strong momentum in its Travel division, where revenues were up by 75% against the prior year. The group’s global Travel business benefited from a “significant”…
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13 AprilHigh Street
BRC calls for business rates freeze amid Labour’s high street rescue plan
The British Retail Consortium has responded to Labour’s five-point plan to revitalise high streets by calling for a permanent freeze on business rates. Leader Sir Keir Starmer revealed the party’s high streets policy during a local election campaign visit to Great Yarmouth and said that the Labour government would “boost…
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Mar- 2023 -2 MarchHigh Street
High street chain stores closing at lowest rate since 2014
High street chain stores closed at the slowest rate since 2014 in the second half of 2022 according to data from accounting firm PWC. A total of 11,530 chain outlets, brands with five or more stores, exited GB high streets, shopping centres and retail parks, an average of 32 closures…
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Jan- 2023 -27 JanuaryHigh Street
Store Vacancies fall to 13.8% in Q4
The overall vacancy rate improved to 13.8% in the fourth quarter of 2022, which was 0.1 percentage points better than Q3 and 0.6 percentage points better than the same period last year, according to the latest BRC/LDC monitor. This was the fifth consecutive quarter of falling vacancy rates. All locations…
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Dec- 2022 -20 DecemberHigh Street
Rail strikes and cold weather sees high street footfall fall 10%
The rail strikes and a bout of cold weather negatively impacted high street footfall last week, a key period for retailers in the run up to Christmas, with footfall falling -10.2, according to the latest figures from Springboard. Footfall across all UK retail destinations was -0.9% lower than last year…
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Nov- 2022 -10 NovemberHigh Street
WH Smith profits soar amid global travel return
WH Smith has reported a headline pre-tax profit of £61m for the year to the end of August, against a £104m loss last year, beating market expectations. It also posted a “significant recovery” in group performance with revenue of £1.4bn, up from £886m in 2021. The company said it would…
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