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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Dec- 2018 -4 DecemberDepartment Stores
‘Tax the internet for the good of the high street’, Mike Ashley tells MPs
Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley has said online businesses should be taxed 20% in as soon as six months to save the majority of high street retailers and avoid closures. Ashley appeared in front of MPs at the House of Commons yesterday (3 December) after demanding to meet them in…
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Nov- 2018 -26 NovemberAdvice
Could rethinking returns help rescue the high street?
It’s a sad fact, but the traditional British high street is suffering more than ever before. With more than 24,000 shops closing their doors in the first six months of this year alone, more light needs to be thrown on retailers’ ongoing loss prevention. The overall picture painted lately shows…
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26 NovemberHigh Street
Black Friday provided ‘little benefit to struggling high street’
This year’s Black Friday has done “little to help the struggling bricks-and-mortar stores throughout the UK”, according to data from Springboard. The group, which provides insights on retail performance, said overall footfall declined by 5.4% from Black Friday 2017, with declines of similar magnitudes throughout the weekend from last year…
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21 NovemberHigh Street
Crickhowell High Street crowned ‘UK’s best’ in Great British High Street Awards
Crickhowell High Street has been crowned the overall winner of the government-run Great British High Street Awards 2018. The Welsh high street was commended for its community-led initiatives and strong network of independent businesses and was awarded £15,000 for the local community. The result reflects strong public support on social…
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20 NovemberHigh Street
UK sales predicted to grow 4% in December
New research predicts that December’s retail sales will reach £47.7bn, growing 4% when compared with last year when sales hit £45.8bn. According to global market research firm Mintel, sales through non-food retailers are expected to reach £23.5bn (including £4bn from online sales generated by physical stores), while food retailers could…
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14 NovemberHigh Street
London’s New Bond Street named ‘most expensive’ European high street
London’s New Bond Street has been named as the most expensive European shopping location for rental value and the third most globally. The ‘Main Streets Across the World’ report by global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield tracks 446 of the top retail streets around the globe, ranking the…
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12 NovemberAdvice
How high street retailers can make it as ‘bricks and clicks’ companies
Next year Amazon is set to celebrate its 25th birthday, although much of the high street won’t be joining the party, with an estimated 38,900 UK retail jobs being lost or affected this year alone. The roll call of businesses that have entered administration, from House of Fraser to Poundworld…
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9 NovemberComment
What does the Black Friday of the future have ‘in store’ for us?
Black Friday, a term which originated in the US and refers to the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, has become common parlance in recent years. The specific meaning behind the phrase is still a matter of debate, with theories ranging from “the first time retailers start to show a profit…
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9 NovemberHigh Street
October footfall ‘wobble’ sparks fresh concern for UK high street
October saw a 7.4% drop in UK store visits, the biggest year-on-year drop since July, while average weekly footfall was down 2.9% compared with September. According to Ipsos Retail Performance’s latest Retail Traffic Index (RTI) the areas with the highest decline in store visits were south west England and Wales,…
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8 NovemberAdvice
Preparing retail for what’s to come right up to and beyond Brexit
Next, one of the biggest British retail names, recently reported ‘better-than-expected’ quarterly results but raised a red flag on Brexit-related risks to its business and the industry as a whole. With threat of online competition already causing uncertainties, ambiguity around Brexit has added to the challenges keeping retailers alert. This…
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