Money intended to reduce number of empty shops sits in council bank accounts A £10m government fund set up over a year ago to help bring vacant shops back into use has hardly been used. The High Street Innovation Fund was part of the government's answer... Read More
In response to the news that Britain’s high streets are struggling to cope with the increasing popularity of online shopping, the Government enlisted “retail tzar” Mary Portas for advice. Alongside a grant worth £1.1 million which was split among 12... Read More
The world’s oldest travel group Thomas Cook has announced it will close almost 200 stores with the loss of 2,500 UK jobs as it struggles to return to profitability. The group said most of the job losses will come from its retail network and back-office... Read More
Retailers across the country will have breathed a sigh of relief this week with the news that sales grew at their fastest rate in years in February. With businesses in all industries preparing themselves for a further plunge into recession, it is hoped that... Read More
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has warned Britain’s 50 largest payday loan companies to shape up or ship out following the results of their investigation into the industry. Starting this week, the chains have 12 weeks to closely examine and alter their... Read More
Bed retailer Dreams entered administration earlier this week, but already the company has been saved by an investment firm. Sun European Partners have agreed to buy 171 of the company’s commercial properties, which will safeguard the jobs of 1,600... Read More
Leading high street sports retailer, Sports Direct purchased the struggling fashion retailer, Republic for an undisclosed amount on the 28th February. The deal will save 114 of the 121 commercial properties and secure over 2,000 jobs. Sports Direct... Read More
UK retail sales fell suddenly in January, confounding economists' hopes for a rise. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said volumes fell 0.6 per cent from December 2012, as shoppers were deterred by heavy snowfall. Snow is blamed for the fall in... Read More
In its heyday when walking around the high street there were varieties of different kinds of shops, which had something for everyone. You could get a new outfit from one store and a pair of shoes from another, not to mention a bottle of wine from an... Read More
The chief executive of business and tourism body Destination Bristol, John Hirst, has revealed that the southern city is managing to do what few others in the UK can – sustain and even post growth in its retail sector. In fact, the number of sales posted by... Read More
