US can teach us a thing or two about saving our town centres

摘要

You can sum up the retail market in one word: consolidation. Each retail subsector is consolidating into a few dominant brands, and those brands are consolidating into fewer bigger units in the prime areas of fewer, bigger centres, whether in or out of town. Consolidation is destroying weaker retailers, weaker towns and weaker shopping areas within and outside those towns. What can be done to help struggling retailers, other than the obvious rent, rates and parking charges reductions? There is a surprising amount of agreement between retailers, the property industry and local authorities, but the consensus is still too timid.