The UK’s London West End is a mecca for both local and global shoppers. Accordingly, it is also the leading shopping district in terms of the number of operating stores in the UK. As of 2019, there were 6,830 stores operating in the London West End retail center. Manchester City Center and Glasgow City Center came in second and third place, with 1,590 and 1,559 stores respectively. Apart from Greater London area, Yorkshire and The Humber had the highest number of retail centers where store numbers were greater compared to the rest of the country.
The future of physical retail centers are under threat due to the growing influence of the e-commerce sector and online sales. Over the past ten years, online retail sales have had an increasing influence in overall retail purchases. In 2019, online sales accounted for 19 percent of total retail sales. Since 2015, online sales have been growing on average between 1 and 1.6 percent per year. The rise in online retail sales is also correlated to the fall in visiting numbers to retail stores. With slight month-to-month variations, the overall trend from January 2017 to March 2019 demonstrates decreasing footfall to retail centers. The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated quarantining measures implemented by the UK government in mid-March 2020 has further affected footfall to UK retail centers. On Easter Sunday 2020, footfall to UK retail centers reached their lowest point ever, with a reported decline of 89.9 percent compared to the year prior.
Consumer opinions on the future of retail centers
Although e-commerce threatens the future survival of retail centers in the UK, consumer opinions demonstrate there is still a demand for physical stores. When surveyed about their opinions on high street in the UK, UK consumers tend to have supportive attitudes towards retail centers remaining open. 70 percent of UK consumers stated being worried about their shops closing and 74 percent were worried about the future of UK high street retail.
Leading retail centers in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019, by number of stores
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Harper Dennis Hobbs. (March 1, 2019). Leading retail centers in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019, by number of stores [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 27, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1024837/leading-uk-retail-centers-by-store-numbers-in-the-united-kingdom/
Harper Dennis Hobbs. "Leading retail centers in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019, by number of stores." Chart. March 1, 2019. Statista. Accessed July 27, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1024837/leading-uk-retail-centers-by-store-numbers-in-the-united-kingdom/
Harper Dennis Hobbs. (2019). Leading retail centers in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019, by number of stores. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 27, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1024837/leading-uk-retail-centers-by-store-numbers-in-the-united-kingdom/
Harper Dennis Hobbs. "Leading Retail Centers in The United Kingdom (Uk) in 2019, by Number of Stores." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Mar 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1024837/leading-uk-retail-centers-by-store-numbers-in-the-united-kingdom/
Harper Dennis Hobbs, Leading retail centers in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019, by number of stores Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1024837/leading-uk-retail-centers-by-store-numbers-in-the-united-kingdom/ (last visited July 27, 2024)
Leading retail centers in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019, by number of stores [Graph], Harper Dennis Hobbs, March 1, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1024837/leading-uk-retail-centers-by-store-numbers-in-the-united-kingdom/