high street news and archive.

Store closures hit record levels in “testing” retail climate

Heightened restructuring activity has seen the first half of 2019 hit record levels in store closures on Britain’s high streets, according to research by th

Shares in Shoe Zone plunge after profit warning

Retail only accounts for 30 percent of high street

What does the UK high street actually look like in 2019? Well, according to new research from Together Money, retail now only makes up 30.32 percent of the hi

Summer slump for footfall across the UK

Footfall declined by 2.9 percent in June, compared to the same period last year when it declined by 0.9 percent, and it is being blamed on “relatively poor

Retail footfall continues to plummet

UK retail footfall declined by 3.5 percent in May, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium and Springboard, marking the worst footf

High street footfall shows promising signs in May

The latest figures from global retail consultancy Ipsos Retail Performance show that store visits over the May Day bank holiday were up by 8.4 percent compare

New retail tech could boost UK high street by 9 billion pounds, says report

New technology is projected to drive footfall back into stores and boost the UK high street by 9 billion pounds, according to a new report. The report,

Lord Stuart Rose on the ‘overblown’ death of the high street

Amsterdam - The retail industry is changing faster than at any time in the past 40 years, but the death of the high street is being “overblown”, said

Altrincham to host Perfect Day pilot

Altrincham town centre will be the first to pilot the ‘National High Street Perfect Day’ on May 17, an initiative designed to improve the UK’s high stre

High street closures remain at historic high

A record number of stores disappeared from the UK’s top 500 high streets in 2018, according to PwC research compiled by the Local Data Company (LDC). I

Boots to reinvent its beauty hall experience

Boots is aiming to transform the “face of high street beauty” by transforming its biggest beauty halls with a “new and inspirational” look. From

Fashion in the news: more controversy in the fashion industry

Every week, FashionUnited selects the most interesting reads about the fashion industry published across UK and international news outlets. Here’s what

Government launches enquiry into business rates impact

The Treasury Committee has launched a fresh inquiry into business rates to find out how Government policy impacts UK companies. The parliamentary committee

UK rules out proposed online sales tax

The UK has ruled out an online sales tax which aims to help struggling high street retailers, saying that it would fall foul of EU rules. According to t

UK retail loses 70,000 jobs in final months of 2018

It’s no secret that last year was a difficult one for the struggling UK high street. Now, new figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reveal th

Over 23,000 stores predicted to disappear from the high street in 2019

It looks like 2019 could be another difficult year for UK retail, with more than 23,000 shops forecast to close in 2019, resulting in a further 175,000 jobs t

Sir Philip Green launches ‘radical review’ of Arcadia

Retail tycoon Sir Philip Green has called in advisers from Deloitte to launch a ‘radical review’ of Arcadia, as the fashion group risks losing 100 stores

UK consumer spending falls at fastest rate in eight months

Consumer spending dropped by 1 percent in December 2018, with the run-up to Christmas hitting the sector particularly hard, new data shows. Visa’s UK

Bleak December sales round off a difficult year for UK retail

Holiday discounting and a last-minute surge of Christmas shopping did little to restore festive cheer to the UK high street in December, according to new

Bad weather takes toll on high street in Christmas build-up

It looks like poor weather this weekend has further hurt the UK’s struggling high street, with footfall down 9 percent on Saturday compared to the same day

Postponed vote on Brexit deal yet another blow for UK retail

In what seems like the metaphorical cherry on top of a year of uncertainty for UK retail, Theresa May cancelled parliament’s vote on her EU Withdrawal A

Brexit concerns and e-commerce to drive footfall down in December

It looks like the challenge facing the UK high street is set to continue this Christmas, with footfall in December predicted to drop by 4.2 percent, accor

Number of independent UK stores continues to drop

>It looks like there’s more bad news for UK independent retailers, as the number of independent stores continues to drop across the UK, according to data re

Mild inflation is back, but fashion retail continues to struggle

Mild inflation has returned to the UK, with shop prices rising in November for only the third time in the last five years. However, this isn't good news for e

Jack Wills gets 10 million pound cash injection from Italian investor

British brand Jack Wills has reportedly received a 10 million investment from an unnamed Italian investor. According to Sky News, a wealthy Italian family o

Mike Ashley threatens to close all Intu stores as rent row continues

Owner of Sports Direct Mike Ashley has threatened to close all 17 of his stores in Intu Properties shopping centres after the landlord refused to accept Ashle

House of Fraser Swindon to remain open

Following a spate of recent closures, it’s been confirmed that the House of Fraser (HoF) in Swindon will remain open, after Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley

The problem with Black Friday returns and how AI could help

Love it or hate it, it looks like Black Friday is here to stay, with the UK sales extravaganza now reaching almost every nook and cranny of both the online an

Could bargain-hunting save Black Friday in the UK?

The Black Friday discount period, once restricted to the US market, has undoubtedly made a name for itself in the UK, but the shopping bonanza seems to have s

UK retailers to develop '60-second' counter-terrorism strategies

Retailers across the UK are developing ‘Sixty Second Security’ strategies to protect staff and customers from potential terrorist attacks. The strategy, w

Tech start-up partners with Google to boost UK high street

London-based retail technology start-up NearSt has partnered with Google to make it easier for customers to know what’s in stock at their local stores. The

UK retail sales fell to six-month low in October

The run-up to Christmas has to date not spurred a boost in sales, with the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reporting retail sales fell to a six-month lo

High street gears up for discount season amid drop in footfall

'Tis the season to be jolly, especially when your favourite brands are likely to be on sale from right about now. Across the retail spectrum - from departme

Can the 2018 budget save the UK high street?

The Chancellor of the UK government this week set out the budget for the coming year, including a 675 million pound Future High Streets Fund aimed to bolste

British women set to spend 29.4 billion pounds on clothing in 2018

*The UK womenswear market grew by 3.2 percent to 28.4 billion in 2017 -- just one woman in twenty didn’t buy any new clothes in 2017, according to a researc

UK retailers experiencing financial distress

UK retailers are not in optimal health according to a new report, with many businesses experiencing ‘significant’ financial stress The results were

Sir John Timpson to chair panel advising on the high street

The government has announced that an expert panel led by Sir John Timpson, chairman of dry cleaner and shoe repair retailer Timpson, has been appointed to adv

UK high street sees worst half year in a decade

The high street has experienced the worst first half to a year in more than a decade, as sales dropped for a fifth consecutive month, according to the BDO H

February miserable month for UK retail

London - The month of February was as miserable for its cold weather snap as it was for UK retail. Following the release of the disappointing fi

980 jobs at risk at New Look, as 60 stores may shut following CVA

UPDATE London - New Look is the latest high street retailer to succumb to difficult trading conditions, as the fashion brand confirms its application for

9,500 stores at risk of shutting down this year

London - Retail experts predict a total of 9,500 stores are likely to close down this year, a 30 percent increase on 2017 if the government moves forward wi

UK retailers roll out Black Friday deals despite lack of optimism

London - High street retailers ranging from H&M to House of Fraser to Asos have already begun their Black Friday deals, despite research indicating an ove

UK fashion retailers suffer 8-year low in July

UK fashion retailers suffered an eight year low in July as consumers think twice about spending on non-essential items. According to accountancy

British high street fashion retailers struggled to sell in May

British high street fashion retailers faced a sales slump this May, brought on by a slowing demand for fashion, accessories, and footwear according to the l

Why online retailers are heading to the high street

London - Online fashion retailers have set a precedence to adopt omnichannel strategies, accounting for 29.6 percent of all all online retailers taking up p

Brexit and storm Doris affect retail sales

The uncertainties of Brexit and storm Doris, which hit the UK at the end of last month, appeared to have a negative impact on retail sales in February.

UK consumer confidence drops in February

London - British retailers and fashion companies will be in for a shock as consumer confidence dips in February with Brexit and rising interest rates becomi

Summer holiday boost high street footfall in August

Footfall increased 0.1 percent within all retail locations across the UK during the month of August in comparison to the same month last year. This increase

Bank holiday weekend footfall down 4 percent

The August bank holiday saw shoppers shun the high street, as footfall numbers fell by 4.1 percent. This comes despite a prediction of a 6.5 percent increas

UK high street to get 'sensored'

A thorough analysis of the UK high street is about to take place with a new project partnership between the Local Data Company (LDC), UCL and Consumer Data

Rise in footfall breaks through clouds hanging over UK high streets and retail parks

A slight rise in footfall during the month of May has been hailed a temporary break through the clouds, as visitor numbers increased 0.3 percent year on yea

UK retail outlook uncertain, Brexit fears

The future of UK retail remains uncertain in the wake of the Brexit vote later this month. The fashion industry has seen a stagnant high street affected by

BHS team launches #SaveBHS Campaign

As takeover rumours continue to swirl following British Home Stores (BHS) collapse into administration, the team of the 88-year retailers launches its own c

How Warehouse is reinventing itself to survive the high streets

The UK’s high street was severely shaken up last week when department store group BHS and clothing retailer Austin Reed entered into administration days a

Footfall continues to drop in March

Footfall dropped by 2.7 percent in March in comparison to the same period last year across all UK retail destinations, as poor weather conditions combined w

High street fashion sales suffer in February

UK consumers shopping the high street for full price merchandise dipped in February, following a bright start to the new year when there were plenty of bar

January footfall “best overall” performance in two years

British retailers were given a boost in January with an overall uplift of 1.2 percent in retail footfall, following a 2.2 percent decline in December. The fig

Retailers missing out revenue through not engaging

High street fashion retailers are missing out on an annual spend worth 9 billion pounds through not engaging with shoppers who are increasingly researching fa

High street footfall drops during festive week

High street footfall drops during festive week

UK retailers could see colossal rise in business rates

UK retailers could see colossal rise in business rates

80,000 high street shops could close due to business rates

80,000 high street shops could close due to business rates

Retail Acquisitions seeks 70 million pounds to revive BHS

Retail Acquisitions seeks 70 million pounds to revive BHS

High street administrations led to 735 store closures in 2014

High street administrations led to 735 store closures in 2014

Shopper numbers drop for the second month in a row

Shopper numbers drop for the second month in a row

BHS to go head to head with M&S and Primark

BHS to go head to head with M&S and Primark

March footfall best figures for a year

March footfall best figures for a year

All retailers can install click-and-collect after law changes

All retailers can install click-and-collect after law changes

High street stores closed at a faster rate in 2014

High street stores closed at a faster rate in 2014

LLA to add retail units as part of major 100 million pound redevelopment plan

LLA to add retail units as part of major 100 million pound redevelopment plan

Warehouse still offers ‘Design for the High Street’

Warehouse still offers ‘Design for the High Street’

UK shoppers see sales fatigue

UK shoppers see sales fatigue

Retailers suffer from warm weather autumn

Retailers suffer from warm weather autumn

London's Bond Street gets 20 million pound makeover

London's Bond Street gets £20m makeover

Cooler weather fails to warm fashion sales

Cooler weather fails to warm fashion sales

Entrepreneurs take over abandoned stores and buildings

Entrepreneurs take over abandoned stores and buildings

UK Uni students prefer hitting the high street than going online

UK Uni students prefer hitting the high street than going online

Shopping centres fill store vacancies faster than high street

Shopping centres fill store vacancies faster than high street

Fashion dominates the high street

Fashion dominates the high street

London to see a new high street

London to see a new high street

Warm weather affects sales of winter clothing

Warm weather affects sales of winter clothing

Is the high street going high-end?

Is the high street going high-end?

Clothing stores shutting at record rate

Clothing stores shutting at record rate

Consumer confidence on the rise

Consumer confidence on the rise

Stores must receive goods without parking penalties

Stores must receive goods without parking penalties

Pop-up stores won't save high street

Pop-up stores won't save high street

Fewer shoppers visit high street

Fewer shoppers visit high street

UK high street facing store closures

UK high street facing store closures

High street sees increase in shop vacancies

High street sees increase in shop vacancies

M&S injects more style in clothing ranges

M&S injects more style in clothing ranges

New confidence for UK retailers

New confidence for UK retailers

UK high street due a makeover

UK high street due a makeover

Retailers feel the High Street blues

Retailers feel the High Street blues

High Street Retailers call for local MP support

High Street Retailers call for local MP support

Retail space at lowest vacancy rate in 2012

Retail space at lowest vacancy rate in 2012

October sees boost to retail sector

October sees boost to retail sector

BRC calls for business rates freeze for retailers

BRC calls for business rates freeze for retailers

London Fashion Week showing shift in landscape

London Fashion Week showing shift in landscape

Richmond gets retail campaign pop-up

Richmond gets retail campaign pop-up

Sunshine brings shoppers back to UK high street

Sunshine brings shoppers back to UK high street

How can high street keep customer loyalty?

How can high street keep customer loyalty?