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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Feb- 2019 -11 FebruaryHigh Street
High street vacancies on the rise, retail data shows
The national town centre vacancy rate was 9.9% in January 2019, up from 8.9% a year earlier This is according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard that also found retail footfall dropped a further 0.7% in January – although this was a lesser decline…
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8 FebruaryEconomy
61% of Brits worried high street will disappear in 10 years
Consumers are worried the high street is going to be lost completely due to the current store closures in the news, research by commercial brokers KIS Finance has revealed. A survey of 1,000 consumers in the UK, found 61% of Brits are worried the high street will disappear in the…
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Jan- 2019 -29 JanuaryAnalysis
The UK’s high street woes
There are few sectors where the effects of the faltering UK economy have been more starkly visible than the retail sector. It seems that every day the media presents another story about a high street name facing financial difficulty. There are a multitude of factors playing into the softening consumer…
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18 JanuaryAnalysis
Fall of the high street — can retailers survive?
The UK’s high streets are under attack. From the continued rise of online shopping, which has led to a reduction in footfall, to increases in business rates and the Living Wage, Britain’s retailers are struggling. The decline of the British high street has dominated the headlines in 2018 with in…
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4 JanuaryComment
Carnage on the shop floor
The pressure on the retail sector has been a consistent staple for investors since the end of the financial crisis, partly as a result of changing shopping habits but also down to rising costs and outdated business models. This has been no better illustrated by the way UK consumers behaved…
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Dec- 2018 -20 DecemberEconomy
Online breaks 20% of retail for first time
The quantity bought in retail sales increased by 0.4% in the three months to November 2018, driven by growths in non-food stores, online retailing and Black Friday promotions. According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), during the month online sales as a proportion of all…
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13 DecemberHigh Street
HoF acquisition dents Sports Direct profits
Sports Direct has reported a 27% fall in profits for the half-year period ending 28 October as it counts the cost of its acquisition of embattled department store chain House of Fraser. During the period, the company that also owns USC, Flannels, and Evans Cycles reported underlying profit before tax…
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10 DecemberHigh Street
Welsh high street retailers to get £2,500 each in business rate cuts
The Welsh government has announced it is to give retailers £2,500 each in business rate cuts. Finance secretary, Mark Drakeford has announced a £23.6m investment to enhance and extend the government’s high street rates relief scheme until 2020. Around 15,000 businesses are expected to receive the enhanced support from April…
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7 DecemberEntertainment
Games Workshop defies ‘high street woes’ with strong H1 results
Fantasy miniatures retailer Games Workshop has reported sales of £124m and operating profits of £41m for the first six months of its 2018/19 financial year. The group said the results were “in line with expectations” for the year ending 2 June 2019, but added that the board is “aware it…
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6 DecemberAdvice
It’s not too late for the high street to make a success of Christmas
Black Friday is over and retailer’s sights are now being set on the Christmas rush, as retailers look to capitalise on demand for presents, food and drink, decorations and all manner of other festive paraphernalia. Good cheer abounds, year-end bonuses are still prevalent in many sectors, and consumers are often…
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