Concern over business rates has come to the fore again as footfall fell 0.6% in July. Rates are broadly seen as a significant inhibiting factor stopping retailers from investing in high streets and malls. The current rating system and level of rates have been widely condemned by […]

With the remarkable rise of online shopping over the last 20 years 75% of British shoppers now buy online. At one time it was thought this growing on-line phenomena was killing the high street, but high street retailers are fighting back as they reinvent the role of […]

The move to on-line shopping and smaller local convenience stores has left the big supermarkets with a challenge – how to manage their millions of acres of land, as well as the devaluation of their portfolios when 25% of planned UK supermarkets developments are being cancelled. The […]

In previous reports about the dip in retail sales during June (mainly due to the food sector) part of the blame was attributed to England’s early exit from the world cup, reducing spending on beer, replica kit and other products associated with watching the glorious game. Analysts […]

We have previously commented on the strong performance of non-food retailers during April, particularly over Easter. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has now issued its report for April which found that “food sales during the Easter holiday made a significant contribution to the overall figure”. Food […]