My town it is like coffee shop, empty, bank, empty, coffee shop, empty, tattoo/saloon place, empty, repeat with a few weird and wonderful services or legacy specialist shops that seem to be struggling to survive.
I've noticed though last couple of years the high street seems busier in terms of number of people than ever for some reason but they don't seem to be shopping - the cafes and restaurants are rammed but the retail shops are relatively quiet.
Debenhams seem to be still strolling along not sure how as they'd have been high up on my list - a lot of their stores seem to have disappeared around me but they still have presence in prime shopping areas.
I think M&S can survive on the high street long term but they need to stay abreast of changing trends and/or in some way hang onto their core market and look at bringing some of the smaller names inside their fold so as to increase footfall and optimise their rent exposure where they don't own stores. Unlike some I don't think M&S should be focusing too much on moving to a retail park presence (that would mean refocusing significantly onto an already contested customer base) - that isn't what their legacy customer base, which has kept them propped up, wants but they face a challenge there in that those legacy customers are a dying breed and not necessarily being replaced from subsequent generations. (Though having some retail park presence would be a strength).
EDIT: I think Debenhams and M&S have very long leases on their stores which has helped.
I've noticed though last couple of years the high street seems busier in terms of number of people than ever for some reason but they don't seem to be shopping - the cafes and restaurants are rammed but the retail shops are relatively quiet.
Debenhams seem to be still strolling along not sure how as they'd have been high up on my list - a lot of their stores seem to have disappeared around me but they still have presence in prime shopping areas.
I think M&S can survive on the high street long term but they need to stay abreast of changing trends and/or in some way hang onto their core market and look at bringing some of the smaller names inside their fold so as to increase footfall and optimise their rent exposure where they don't own stores. Unlike some I don't think M&S should be focusing too much on moving to a retail park presence (that would mean refocusing significantly onto an already contested customer base) - that isn't what their legacy customer base, which has kept them propped up, wants but they face a challenge there in that those legacy customers are a dying breed and not necessarily being replaced from subsequent generations. (Though having some retail park presence would be a strength).
EDIT: I think Debenhams and M&S have very long leases on their stores which has helped.
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) had articles this morning re John Lewis and Waitrose looking to make cost cuts. Waitrose I could probably live without - though I do like their strawberry jam - but JL is the only sane alternative to Currys.
