UK’s high street crisis laid bare as 201k staff sacked with 17,349 shops closed

7 comments

1. high street shopping is dead, it’s not coming back – covert it into modern (inexpensive) living accomodation

2. The article misses out the fact that the facts that constantly increasing high street rents charged by landlords, the homogenisation of the high streets so that wherever you go the same bland offering of stores, owned by the same corporations, selling the same limited number and type of goods, often at higher prices than online or specialist outlets, all play a part in the decline coupled with continually rising car parking costs and vehicle restrictions apply.

   The high street where I live is dying because no one wants to go there any more unless you have a penchant for american sweet shops, coffee or fast food outlets, dodgy barbers, betting or charity shops and the council car park being not only expensive but full of druggies. The out of town supermarkets have parking and sell not only groceries but home-ware, clothing and have in-house pharmacies, even the garden centres have a wider range of goods available these days and cafes set in a pleasant environment.

   Pre-Christmas I wanted a particular brand of handheld food mixer, none of the local outlets had any in stock, online I got it with free next day delivery and £10 cheaper. I have recently been looking for a new washing machine, Curry’s are out of stock and awaiting more so I cant even do what their advert suggests and visit to view the product whilst AO and John Lewis can deliver within 2 days.

   Even Mary Portas has had to re-invent herself, after her retail consultancy began to fail,. She now calls herself a champion for pushing for amendments to the Companies Act to make businesses benefit workers, customers, communities and the environment – rather than just shareholders.

3. We need to redefine what is offered on the high street. We still need these communal spaces for people to ‘mingle’, but just assess what that needs could be

4. Nptcc here,put up business rates,taxes & some other guff tax no one voted for, that’s how we roll.

5. Slow hand claps

6. What jobs will these people now do?

7. Same unit will be on the market with higher rent.

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