High street: Applications to convert shops to homes soar but councils reject almost half April 25, 2022 High street shop units are increasingly being targeted for conversion into homes, new data has revealed. Research by commercial law firm EMW found that the number of conversion applications leaped 37 per cent. Some 677 applications were made in 2020/2021, versus 494 in 2019/2020. However, out of the 677 applications for conversion, some 45 per [...]
Our high streets need a new lease of life but forced auctions could be fraught with uncertainty April 20, 2022 This week, the government unveiled plans to revitalise high streets up and down the country. Under the new policy – which will only be revealed in full during the Queen’s Speech next month – landlords will be forced to rent out shops that have been vacant for more than six months. The aim is to [...]
Pop-up firm Sook tops £1m sales as Instagram businesses dabble with bricks-and-mortar retail April 1, 2022 Pop-up retail company Sook has hit £1m sales, with CEO John Hoyle telling CityA.M. an “explosion” of social media brands are looking for flexible spaces. Speaking to CityA.M., Hoyle said small businesses who use TikTok and Instagram are increasingly keen to venture into physical retail on a flexible basis. The company has seven spaces in [...]
Ikea to close Tottenham store in £1bn plans to speed up home deliveries in London March 30, 2022 Ikea has revealed it will be shutting shop at its Tottenham store, with some 450 employees set to be impacted. However, Ikea said it has plans to retain as many individuals as possible. It is also planning to create some 600 vacancies in the capital before the store shuts. The North London store will remain open [...]
Council says it wants to rid central London of ‘candy and tat shops’ March 3, 2022 Westminster City Council has outlined its intention to rid central London’s Oxford Street of “questionable candy and tat shops” as a part of a £150m rejuvenation. Rachael Robathan, leader of the council, tonight said “Oxford Street is Europe’s hardest hit street” by Covid and that the decline will continue without a serious intervention. Footfall on [...]
When in Rome (or Paris), while in your bedroom: the metaverse of the high street February 14, 2022 When Topshop announced they were pulling out of their flagship Oxford street shop last year, the fatalistic chatter about the end of the high street gathered colossal momentum. The store was eventually snapped up by Ikea, for £378m, but another hole was left in its wake, with House of Fraser closing down too. Despite this, [...]
Changing high street: Bingo halls and casinos shutter while gyms take advantage of cheaper rent January 31, 2022 Bingo halls and casinos have declined amid the pandemic, with the number of leisure venues targeted at older customers dropping in the last year. The number of bingo halls decreased to 360 in 2021, down from 370 in 2020, according to commercial law firm EMW. Elsewhere, the number of snooker clubs dropped to 700 last [...]
Asos flies in clothes to manage supply chain delays and forced to sell products at a discount January 13, 2022 Online fashion giant Asos said this morning it had to fly in clothes to manage supply chain delays and sold more products at a discount as competition heated up over the autumn months. The company also revealed it suffered from the various lockdowns imposed in Europe as Omicron spread, but sales held up in the [...]
Retail in 2022: Leisure explosion and flexible landlords will give the UK high street a much-needed boost this year January 11, 2022 Demand for property outside traditional retail and pragmatic landlords have given “renewed optimism” for some high streets and shopping districts despite the toll of the pandemic, according to industry experts. The pressure from lockdown measures, after a steady decline in recent years, saw vacancy rates across shopping destinations hit record levels in the second quarter [...]
Most Arcadia stores lie empty a year after empire’s collapse December 1, 2021 Press Association THE vast majority of stores from Sir Philip Green’s former Arcadia empire remain empty a year after the retailer’s dramatic collapse. Around 86 per cent of shop sites run by the group – which included Topshop, Topman, Burton and Dorothy Perkins stores – are still vacant, according to data from the Local Data [...]