Page 8 - Local Data News Today

A record number of shops closed last year as the pandemic put unprecedented pressure on businesses.More than 17,500 chain stores closed their doors, according to data from PWC and the Local Data

The chain blames High Street conditions for its decision to shut 61 shops, putting 603 jobs at risk.

Shaggy-haired Welshmen and women can have their wayward locks trimmed professionally from today as the country opens its hairdressers and barbers for the first time in 2021. The Welsh Government has lifted its rules banning salon haircuts for the first time since before Christmas in a move that will bring relief to millions. The move comes almost a month before hairdressers in England are allowed to pick up their scissors again from April 12.   It came as ministers were accused of moving the ...

Pandemic impact yet to be felt on high streets © Getty Images The coronavirus pandemic has thrown Britains high streets into crisis, yet the full force of its impact has yet to be felt, according to accountants PwC. More than 17,500 chain stores and other venues closed in Great Britain last year, according to new data. Thats an average rate of 48 closures a day. But the figures, which include hospitality and leisure venues, but not independent retailers, suggest the trend began before the pan...

With the fall of Philip Green’s empire and the move to online, clothes shops face an uncertain future. But there is hope

Hospitality and leisure accounted for more than half of commercial business closures in the City of London last year, according to research by the Local Data Company.

The association is warning that without vape stores, former smokers “could be tempted back” to cigarettes  Trade body the UK Vaping Industry Association is lobbying government to classify vape shops as essential retailers. The lobbying effort has been ongoing since the first national lockdown in March, but the association has redoubled its efforts, warning that former smokers who have made the switch to electronic alternatives “could be tempted back”. Furthermore, UKVIA says, many smo...

Department stores endure worst year since BHS collapse Large retailers have been pummelled by shifting tastes, internet shopping and the pandemic – but all is not lost 18 December 2020 • 12:00pm Department store chains serving the middle market have struggled to find their place in modern retailing Credit: Bloomberg The number of department stores in Britain looks set to fall below 1,000 next year for the first time in decades as the future for these retail giants looks increasingly grim...