High streets and town centres are facing a plethora of problems, most of which are linked to the changing face of the retail industry. The Centre for Retail Research has described the British retail industry as facing a “permacrisis” since the 2008 financial crisis, as a result of factors including the rise of internet retailing, changes in consumer preferences, store closures and other changes on the high street, many of which were accelerated by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Challenges faced by high street retailers and the associated problems in town centres have seen the creation of several initiatives and funding schemes designed to help them adapt to an era in which traditional retail may no longer be the focal point of town centres. These include the Future High Streets Fund, High Street Heritage Action Zones, the Long Term Plan for Towns and High Street Accelerators, as well as the creation of the High Streets Task Force, an organisation composed of high street experts providing tailored guidance, support and resources to local authorities on high street issues.

Despite this, our high streets and town centres continue to have ever-increasing numbers of empty units, many of which - particularly the larger units such as those previously occupied by Debenhams or Marks and Spencer - create large holes in the high street scene. High streets also come under fire from the national press with complaints they now only contain charity shops or coffee shops, with the traditional variety of the high street a distant memory.