Mary Portas has become one of the most significant characters in the battle to save the high street, with her plan to rejuvenate town centres splitting opinions up and down the country. Like her or loathe her, she certainly stands up for what she believes in and is not one to back away from a heated debate.
This week, she has hit back at former Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy after he voiced the opinion that the consumer transition from small stores to supermarkets is “progress” in an interview with Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs.
Sir Terry, who led Tesco between 1997 and 2011, claimed that the way in which people choose to shop has changed and that large supermarkets such as Tesco simply cater for the needs of today’s consumers. He also described some UK high streets as “medieval”.
Ms Portas, who is currently working with the Government to breathe life back into Britain’s high streets, stated that these claims are “absolute crap.”
She continued; “When Sir Terry Leahy was on Desert Island Discs recently, Kirsty Young suggested to him that Tesco was putting the small butcher out of business – Leahy said if the butcher was good enough, people would still be shopping there.
“Fifty pence of every pound is spent on food. If you take that off the high street and put it into an out-of-town store, and you provide free parking and everything under one roof, then you start to take away not only the food shops, but also the chemist, the fashion shops, the butcher… you start to displace the whole high street.
“Even if the butcher at the supermarket isn’t good, it’s so convenient.”
Statistics from recent years certainly indicate that most consumers now choose convenience over preservation of the traditional retail environment of the UK. Vacancy rates in many areas are now as high as 30 per cent, with some significantly higher, and multiple small high street businesses are forced to close daily thanks to a lack of demand.
Internet shopping has also taken its toll, with supermarkets offering cheap delivery on weekly grocery shops removing the need for consumers to even leave their homes. As this is not cost effective for most small grocery retailers, they have no option but to watch as their customers gradually ebb away.
The changing face of retail in the UK may be seen as progress by some, but this progress could eventually mean the loss of the community feel of high streets forever.
Do you think supermarket dominance is a mark of progress, or is it important to preserve the high street?
Previous Post
West End Report Calls for 24 Hour Tube Service
