High street news and archive

M&S calls for strong policing as retail crime escalates across UK high streets

Marks & Spencer has called for urgent government action to tackle rising retail crime, warning that increasing violence and theft are eroding confidence in UK high streets. In a statement, the department store’s retail director Thinus Keeve said crime in stores is becoming “more brazen, more organised and more aggressive”, with frontline retail...

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Digital tools are reshaping the high street, not ending it

For years, the narrative has been simple. Digital retail is growing, high streets are declining, and physical fashion shops are slowly becoming irrelevant. But that story is too neat, and it misses what is actually happening on the ground. The high street is not disappearing. It is being reshaped. People still want to shop - just on their terms....

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Becoming entertainment: the future of fashion retail branding

We live in a time of overwhelming brand messaging, where even individuals carefully curate their own brands, and traditional communication finds it hard to cut through. This noise has awakened an exciting shift: brands are moving away from traditional advertising and embracing a new brand-entertainment hybrid that is delivering clear stand out....

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Why high street fashion must stop competing on convenience and start creating meaning

Luxury fashion brands have long understood that shopping is more than a transaction. They excel at blending global prestige with local nuance, creating bespoke environments that reflect local values and aesthetics. These stores feel rooted in place, with a distinctiveness of place that makes them desirable. Written by Luke Bell, strategy...

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Panic Weekend set to inject over 3 billion pounds into UK retail as shoppers leave Christmas buying to the wire

After a subdued build-up to Christmas, the UK retail sector is bracing for a sharp late surge. Panic Weekend, taking place on 20–21 December, is forecast to deliver 3.43 billion pounds in sales, up 12.8 percent year-on-year, as consumers delay festive purchases until the final possible moment. According to the latest Shopping for Christmas...

Retail

Hyper-personalised and tech-centric: Gen Z seek experiences beyond retail in stores

A new report by American Express has unveiled what British high streets may look like when adapting to the expectations of the Gen Z consumer group over the next 25 years. According to the data, much of this demographic – shoppers up to 28 years old – are seeking out features beyond retail from stores, expressing a desire for social hubs in...

Retail

Retail reality check: Footfall dips in September for first time since 2019

Retail footfall declined in September for the first time since 2019, reflecting a return to pre-pandemic trends driven by seasonality, weather and consumer sentiment. This is according to data collected by MRI Software, which found footfall slipped 0.2 percent year-on-year for the five week period to October 4. High streets were the hardest hit,...

Retail

UK Conservatives pledge to scrap business rates for high street retailers

The UK’s Conservative party has said they would abolish business rates for high street businesses, including retailers and pubs, if they were to win the next election. During a conference in Manchester, shadow chancellor Mel Stride said “the burden of Labour’s tax rises” have been "simply too much to bear”. Stride further claimed that 89,000...

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High Street fashion under pressure amid rising costs and shrinking labour pool

Retail employment in the UK has entered a troubling downturn. According to the latest report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were 2.73 million jobs in retail in June 2025. The four-quarter average, which smooths out seasonal hiring variations, stood at 2.78 million jobs, some 97,000 fewer than at the same point last year, and...

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400 of Britain’s largest shops at risk, BRC warn

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is warning that 400 large-format stores, from department stores to supermarkets, are at risk of closure if the Government forces them into its proposed higher business rates tax band. New research from the BRC reveals that large stores would be at risk if they are included in the Government’s new business...

Retail

Retail footfall falters in July despite heatwave and events

In a month when the summer sun scorched pavements and the Lionesses lifted silverware, Britain’s retail sector remained conspicuously tepid. July footfall figures, released by BRC-Sensormatic, reveal a marginal 0.4 percent year-on-year decline—an improvement on June’s -1.8 percent, but still far from the revival fashion retailers were hoping...

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UK retail insolvencies surge amid tax burden and weak consumer confidence

The UK's retail sector is showing signs of distress, with company insolvencies in the trade rising sharply for the second consecutive month. According to figures released this week, retail trade insolvencies climbed to 192 in May 2025, a 16 percent increase from April’s 165 cases, and 20 percent higher than the 160 recorded in May 2024. While...