retail

December 13, 2011 - As is being widely reported in the media, a third of high streets are 'degenerating or failing'; according to new research published by the Government, outlined in the Portas High Street review. Many of the solutions designed to aid suffering high streets were put forward at the RUDI/LTT Better Streets event at the end of November, which featured a debate on the future of the high street. more >

October 28, 2011 - It should be 'tougher' for new retail developments to be built out-of-town and easier for supermarkets to open stores in town centres, according to Mary Portas, the TV presenter and author of a forthcoming Government report on the future of the high street. more >

September 19, 2011 - Retail property organisation BCSC and top retail developers have asked Government to introduce a developer-led Tax Increment Financing Model (TIF) that would allow the private sector to lead economic growth, and potentially unlock up to 50m sq ft of stalled retail schemes in the UK. Read more on TIF on RUDI.net... more >

August 24, 2011 - Overall footfall between May and July was 1% lower than the same period a year earlier. Falling shopper numbers in the UK were driven by a 1.9% fall in people visiting out-of-town complexes. The number of people entering shopping centres rose by 0.6%. more >

August 16, 2011 - David Cameron has promised, following recent rioting across England, that the government will not allow a culture of fear to exist on Britain's streets. more >

August 11, 2011 - The director general of the British Retail Consortium, Stephen Robertson, and representatives of the British Council of Shopping Centres have written to ministers calling for a series of planning interventions in the wake of the riots, requesting practical support for the rebuilding of high streets after the violence earlier this week. more >

August 10, 2011 - The government's National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) could descend into chaos if loopholes and vague language in the draft document are not addressed, retailers and ­industry experts have warned in the specialist retail press. more >

July 27, 2011 - Labour is launching a campaign to save Britain's high streets, calling for urgent action to help retailers, protect jobs and give people a real say over their local high street. The government's long-awaited policy on national planning has also been described as a 'watershed moment' for local shops, with retailers welcoming the commitment to town centres over out-of-town development. more >

May 10, 2011 - Retail guru Mary Portas is launching a rescue campaign to save Britain's beleaguered High Streets after being called in by Prime Minister David Cameron, suggests The Daily Mail. And TV's hard-hitting 'Queen of Shops' wants giant supermarket chains like Tesco to hand over some of their billions of pounds profits to give a helping hand to struggling local community stores. more >

April 11, 2011 - The new report, The Right to Retail, argues that the Government must give communities the power to rebalance the retail economy away from the ‘Big Four’ supermarkets, which control nearly 80 per cent of the UK’s £150 billion pound grocery market. more >