Independent shops declining at ‘disastrous’ rate, report warns
This is desperate news – particularly as my most recent “rural rides” have suggested fewer independents in our smaller rural towns. The article tells us:
Independent shops are in dramatic decline, figures suggest, as more shops closed than opened in the first six months of the year for the first time since 2012. There was a net loss of 144 independent shops in the first half of 2015, according to figures from The Local Data Company and British Independent Retailers Association. This compared to an increase of 289 for the same period in 2014.
A total of 7,915 independent stores opened in the six months to July this year while 8,059 closed, leaving a net decline of 144 shops. This compared to 8,544 shop openings last year and 8,255 closures.
Independents now account for 65pc of all shops in Britain, a fall of 1pc from last year. “The loss of 144 shops is not a lot in the context of the 279,569 total across Britain, but is disastrous in comparison to a gain of over 3,600 in 2011. The good times are no longer rolling,” said Michael Weedon, deputy chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association. Convenience retailers, which include bakers, butchers, food shops and supermarkets, were among the biggest casualties on the high street. There was a net decline of 36 units, a dramatic reversal in fortune from the 76-unit increase a year ago. Service retailers, covering health and beauty parlours, tattoo parlours and estate agents, increased by the greatest number of units, gaining 241 shops in the first half of 2015. The businesses seeing most growth have been barbers, cafes, e-cigarettes sellers and mobile phone shops, said the Local Data Company. American-style restaurants and Vietnamese eateries have also increased their presence on the high street. Sectors in decline include women’s clothing specialists, newsagents, pubs and jewellers.