One shop in 10 on the UK’s high streets shut down between January and September this year, according to figures from the Local Data Company.
Its figures show that out of 251,462 shops, 25,090 closed over the nine month period. In London, more than 7,500 shops closed their doors over the period.
Meanwhile, the British Property Federation (BPF) has called for greater government support for struggling retailers. In particular, the landlords’ trade body wants the government to cut both business rates and the tax it charges on empty properties. Francis Salway, president of the BPF and chief executive of Land Securities, said that landlords are not always able to change the terms of their leases to accommodate struggling retailers’ wishes.
28/10/09 Daily Telegraph B2
