The number of retail and leisure businesses impacted so far by the week’s riots in England exceeds one in ten of the GB total.
So claims the Local Data Company having looked into the towns reported to have experienced civil unrest. (Pictured: graffiti, ‘we are all the results of our surroundings’, on the outside of a boarded-up clothes shop in Wolverhampton centre, on Thursday morning, August 11.) <br><br>To date, after four days of unrest, the retail sector analysts have found reports of 28 town centres that have been impacted by the recent riots and looting. In addition to this, but excluded from these figures, are some stand alone supermarkets and retail parks such as in Croydon that have also been attacked.<br><br>Some 48,404 shops, pubs, restaurants, pubs and clubs have been directly or indirectly impacted by the disorder. The Local Data Company is tracking in the field (GB) 475,809 retail and leisure premises. This equates to 10.2 per cent of all GB premises have been impacted. In light of additional locations such as stand alone supermarkets and retail parks also coming under attack this figure should be considered as a minimum.<br><br>Independents businesses (of five or fewer outlets) account for 65.67pc of these and it is these that have the most to lose. House of Reeves in Croydon is one example of a business that traded for 140 years and was part of that community โ now it is burnt out and may never open again.<br><br>Matthew Hopkinson, director at the Local Data Company said: โThese figures are horrifying in terms of the damage that has been done to an already struggling sector. The retail sector is a major contributor to inner city regeneration projects as well as employing thousands of people. The fact that over 65 per cent of those affected are Independents shows how random and thoughtless the actions of this criminal minority are. These businesses are the livelihoods of many people and the ability to bounce back from this has yet to be seen. It is the last thing that the High Street let alone the country needed. It is important that the law abiding majority offer as much support as they can to these affected businesses.โ Visit –
