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- 2025 -7 JulyClothing & Shoes
H&M latest retailer to trial staff body cameras
H&M has started trialling body-worn cameras for its staff in the UK as retailers seek to address rising levels of theft and violence in stores. According to This is Money, the Swedish fashion retailer is testing the equipment at branches in Edinburgh, Wood Green and Beckton in London. It follows…
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4 JulyHigh Street
High street sales falter in June as shoppers go online
High street sales growth continued to lag behind inflation in June, as shoppers turned to online retailers, according to new data from BDO. The firm’s latest High Street Sales Tracker showed like-for-like in-store sales in discretionary categories – fashion, homewares and lifestyle – rose by just 0.6% compared to June…
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3 JulyHealth & Beauty
Superdrug FY profits jump 22.6% amid focus on value items
Superdrug has seen its full-year pre-tax profits jump by 22.6% to £136.8m, as store openings, refurbishments and a focus on value helped offset weaker UK footfall and pressure on consumer spending. It comes as the health and beauty retailer saw its sales rise by 7% during the year to 28…
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Jun- 2025 -30 JuneHigh Street
WH Smith cuts price of high street arm by £12m to close deal
WH Smith has officially completed the sale of its UK high street business to private investment firm Modella Capital for £40m, down from the previously expected £52m. Under the new terms, WH Smith will receive £10m upfront, with up to £20m in deferred payments linked to the business’s cash flow…
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27 JuneFeatures
Has homeware become a fast fashion rite of passage?
This summer marks a bold new chapter in Primark’s retail journey, as the brand opens its first standalone Home store in Great Britain at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester. Following the success of its debut Home concept in Belfast, this 11,900 sq. ft, two-floor space aims to bring the full breadth…
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23 JuneClothing & Shoes
River Island to shut 33 stores with hundreds of jobs at risk
River Island is reportedly planning to shutter 33 shops as part of a restructuring plan that would see hundreds of jobs at risk, Sky News has reported. The family-owned group, which currently operates around 230 stores, confirmed the proposals on Friday (20 June) following reports that it was working…
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17 JuneHigh Street
Oxford Street pedestrianisation gets go-ahead
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has revealed that the planned pedestrianisation of Oxford Street has been given the green light. The mayor’s office stated that its consultation showed that around seven in 10 back the Oxford Street transformation plans, with two-thirds specifically supporting the idea of pedestrianisation. Alongside this, major…
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16 JuneHigh Street
Largest retailers to pay £600m extra in business rates from 2026
Major supermarkets and West End stores are set to pay an extra £600m in business rates from April 2026 following government reforms, according to analysis by property firm Colliers for The Times. The changes will lower the business rates multiplier for smaller retail, hospitality and leisure sites, with the shortfall recouped by…
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13 JuneHigh Street
10,000 Wilko workers to get £2m pay out
Almost 10,000 former Wilko workers have been awarded a £2m pay out after the high street retailer failed to properly consult with workers prior to going bust in 2023. It comes as the GMB union said it had won a legal case on behalf of thousands of members who lost…
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12 JuneEconomy
Retailers welcome £2bn police boost but urge for more action
Retail trade bodies have welcomed the £2bn funding boost for police forces in England and Wales, but cautioned that the investment alone will not be enough to tackle rising levels of high street crime. It comes as Rachel Reeves announced in yesterday’s Spending Review (11 June) that the police’s spending…
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