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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Nov- 2025 -27 NovemberEconomy
Budget reaction: Retail split as business rates and import rules shift
The retail industry has labelled the Autumn Budget as a “mixed bag” for retail, offering relief for many shops, but bringing in new costs for others Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered Labour’s first Autumn Statement, outlining permanent business rates reductions for 750,000 retail, hospitality and leisure businesses and confirming new customs…
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26 NovemberEconomy
Budget business rates plan ‘an attack on London and the Southeast’, says Colliers
Business rates changes announced in the November Budget 2025 amount to “an attack on London and the Southeast”, according to Colliers, which said most of the firms facing higher charges under the new system are based in the two regions. The comments came as the government confirmed that overall business…
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25 NovemberSupermarkets
Co-op to open record 11 stores in one week
Co-op has announced that it is set to open 11 stores this week (24 November), a record for the supermarket. The move is part of the retailer’s investment in more than 200 new and transformed stores over 2024/25, and among the 50 stores Co-op has confirmed will open this November…
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24 NovemberGovernment
Reeves to delay end of low-value import tax break until 2029
Britain will scrap the long-standing tax exemption on low-value imports in 2029, delaying a move sought by major retailers who say the current regime hands an advantage to fast-growing overseas platforms, The Times has reported. It comes as the Treasury has confirmed it will abolish the “de minimis” rule –…
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19 NovemberHigh Street
WHSmith CEO steps down amid ‘extremely serious’ accounting errors
The CEO of WHSmith has resigned with immediate effect as the group published a report that revealed the extent of “extremely serious” accounting errors in its North America division. Following an independent review from Deloitte for FY23 to FY25, a report concluded that the division’s treatment of supplier income was not…
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11 NovemberSupermarkets
Grocery inflation eases to 4.7% as supermarkets step up Xmas promotions
Grocery price inflation slowed to 4.7% this month as supermarkets stepped up promotions ahead of Christmas, according to new data from Worldpanel by Numerator. Take-home sales at grocers rose by 3.2% in the four weeks to 2 November compared with the same period last year, with spending on promoted items…
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11 NovemberHigh Street
Thousands of premises targeted in largest high street crime crackdown
Thousands of high street businesses across the UK have been targeted as part of a national crackdown on economic crime and the criminal exploitation of local premises.The coordinated effort, known as Operation Machinize 2, was led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in partnership with the National Police Chiefs’ Council…
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10 NovemberSupermarkets
Co-op to open 50 new stores before Christmas
Co-op has revealed plans to open more than 50 new or transformed stores across the UK before Christmas. The openings, which takes Co-op’s investment to more than £200m over 2024/25 in over 200 new and transformed stores, are a variety of formats and locations. As part of the 50, Co-op…
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6 NovemberHigh Street
UK retail footfall dips 1.3% in October
Retail footfall across the UK fell 1.3% in October compared with the same month last year, according to data from MRI Software. The decline was led by a 2.3% drop in high street visits, while shopping centres and retail parks recorded smaller decreases of 0.2% and 0.4% respectively. The report…
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6 NovemberLuxury Goods
Watches of Switzerland HY revenues up 10% to £845m
Watches of Switzerland has revealed that its revenues rose 10% to £845m for the half year ended 26 October 2025. The retailer said that demand for luxury watches remained robust and continued to exceed supply, with consistent additions to and conversions of the client Registration of Interest lists. As a…
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