More and more independent retailers are disappearing from Britain’s high streets every year. ITV news recently reported that 1700 shops were lost last year, but other surveys put it at much higher.
But why are they going? Some people blame it on large supermarket chains, while others say it is simply the product of globalisation.
I am doing a dissertation on Britain's declining high steets and would love to hear your views about what causes the problem. Has your high street faded away?
It is claimed that closures impact on other businesses in towns. High streets are boarded up and residents forced to travel further to do their shopping. This can also leave many without post offices.
An argument is that if a large store is built on the edge of a town consumers will start shopping there. Independent retailers say it is hard to compete because the big stores are able to offer lower prices as a result of bulk buying.
Has YOUR high street been wiped out and what has been the impact on YOUR community? Please let me know!
I am doing a dissertation on Britain's declining high steets and would love to hear your views about what causes the problem. Has your high street faded away?
It is claimed that closures impact on other businesses in towns. High streets are boarded up and residents forced to travel further to do their shopping. This can also leave many without post offices.
An argument is that if a large store is built on the edge of a town consumers will start shopping there. Independent retailers say it is hard to compete because the big stores are able to offer lower prices as a result of bulk buying.
Has YOUR high street been wiped out and what has been the impact on YOUR community? Please let me know!
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Research on supermarkets from Corporate Watch
15.12.2005 16:21
"The Corporate Watch 'Food and Agriculture' project aims to highlight the many and varied effects of the corporate control of the food chain: from supermarkets causing the decline of town centres and high streets, to food corporations dictating global agriculture policy; from 'ethical trade' to the corporate co-option of fair trade, organic and 'local' produce.
Corporate Watch is committed to the transformation of the current damaging and highly exploitative food system, and to the creation of a pattern of food production based on the needs of local communities rather than exploitation and greed.
For more information about our analysis, see Corporate Watch's briefing 'A Rough Guide to the UK Farming Crisis' (2004) and 'What's Wrong with Supermarkets?'(Updated 2004)"
For more info see:
Apis mellifera
Homepage:
http://www.corporatewatch.org
'Bullring' documentary
19.12.2005 09:32
Birmingham became a large industrial centre on the back of its markets (rather than its geographical location - it isn't near a port, major river or fortress), yet the markets are being increasingly sidelined in favour of the 'Bullring' shopping mall, which doesn't contain a single independent business at all.
There is a rumour that the Wholesale Markets will close in the next few years as the Council could get around £24m for their sale as it's a prime bit of real estate next to the City Centre. This means that the majority of traders who don't have their own vans will go out of business. They are literally being forced out.
Anyhow, my film looks at the history of the area and contains several interviews with traders. It should be completed by the end of January.
Rach
e-mail:
rachel.l.smith@blueyonder.co.uk