21/07/2009 - Slump high streets 'must reinvent'
Struggling UK high streets must develop unique identities if they are to survive the recession that has already left some in terminal decline, a report has warned.
Some shopping districts have been so blighted by the collapse in consumer confidence and economic decline that 40% of their properties are empty, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said.
It has published a 20-point plan to save ailing town centres and said a focus on local character as well as making the area attractive and safe is key to enticing shoppers back in.
The group said that high streets have a bright future in the UK but many need "nurturing through this difficult period", adding: "It is clear that in many places, recession is accelerating a trend of decline that was already under way."
But it said some high streets "may never go back" to being key shopping destinations. The BRC called on councils and the Government to work with retailers to avoid a cycle of decline in which people are deterred from visiting high streets where there are many empty shops.
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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