The High Street Crisis in Britain

Unfortunately there are a multitude of contributing factors which don't help the high streets. Rental costs continue to soar... Business rates also get higher every year... Foot traffic can even be effected by our poor weather over the last couple of months.
If you walk along any high street you'll find more coffee shops and eateries than any other niche. People would rather sit at home... Click a few buttons and wait for the doorbell to ring.
Even when I see buses go by.. Most are almost empty!!!
A sign of the times I think...

That I agree with

Perhaps the problem itself is that even though retailers do embrace the internet sales part of their businesses their main problem has been that many found/do find it difficult to compete with e bay &/or Amazon on many fronts plus many people are not impressed that there is a huge mark up between many of the goods online and in store.

I am sure that times out of 10 many of us have found this to be the case, as well as also finding the same goods at one particular store being sold way cheaper on Amazon.

I'm not surprised to hear about "Next" About a month ago I was in one of there stores. I was after trousers of which they didn't have my size in stock of any design. They told me to look on-line.
Only 2 other guys were in the dept. and I overheard similar discussions to both of them. The staff said look on-line and all 3 of us left the store empty handed. Bizarre!

I find Next a little bit surprising because unlike Toys'R'us and other retailers they have embraced the move online

This just reiterates those on here who have advocated that the problems are multifaceted, in Next's case that inflation continues to outstrip wage growth and people are turning to cheaper alternatives

Noooooooooooooo Bargain booze gone into administration

Mothercare is on the verge of closing more than 40 stores as it enters a CVA to settle it's debt

Earlier this year East slipped into administration, while Maplin is currently on the hunt for a buyer.
Restaurant chain Chimichanga, Jamie's Italian and Prezzo have also lined up closures for the coming months.
Meanwhile high street fashion chain New Look revealed a new restructuring plan in March with 60 closures in the pipeline - including a flagship Oxford Street store.
Rent costs in 393 branches will also be renegotiated as part of efforts to save the fashion empire in what it described as a "difficult" trading environment.
Similarly, flooring chain Carpetright is in talks with its banks after issuing its third profit warning in four months.
The troubled retailer, which has 409 UK branches, is "currently exploring" a company voluntary arrangement.

also another empty outlet has appeared on my local high street in the last few days as the Argos store here moved into my local Sainsbury's. I think that will be empty for quite a while given it's size

It's not only closures that are the problem. There's little confidence for new or expanded business there: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43709812

(11-04-2018 14:47 )ShandyHand Wrote:  It's not only closures that are the problem. There's little confidence for new or expanded business there: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43709812

Thats because of Business rates and Rent. its a lot easier to start a business online than a bricks and mortar store nowadays

I mean you can start a online store with a service like Shopify for about 25quid a month and use Facebook advertising and Search engines and social media to get customers. then you can sell on Amazon and Ebay as well as Etsy

^ Of course and we are all worse off because of that. High Streets are about my than commerce you know.

Along with the decline of the local boozer, and the yuppification of major sporting events, it marks itself as part of the dissolution of society that it is. These high streets are supposed to be the focal point of communities, bringing people from different backgrounds together and uniting them around their common ties to an area. Instead we now have virtual wastelands that only attract vagrants and the poorest who can't afford to travel often.

So we add to ghettoization with little mixing; and are reduced to corporate greed malls in out of the way soulless industrial parks where people shop without any social side. Society is ever more divided while we regress into our cushioned internet bubbles. The echo chamber of social media is enforced by the high streets breakdown as we only hear the voices of those we choose to hear. 

Ignorance breeds fear. Fear breeds scapegoating, hatred and more self-isolating behaviour. And we cycle on down.

The internet and online shopping didnt kill the High Street it was already dying because of the supermarkets.

Interesting what they are doing to my high street again they un pedestianised it while they are developing the car park into an extension with a new independent cinema and other shops. we havent had a cinema in the town since the late 80's the nearest one is out of town near boltons stadium or at least 10 miles in preston again out of town.

Preston is also building a new cinema behind the fishergate center near the train station again easy for people to get to.

Is it just happening in my town but there seems to be lots of little bars opening up in shops that were retail there are about 5 opened up in our small town centre.