BIRA calls sharp rate of shop closures ‘frightening’

The British Independent Retailers Association has said the sharp rise in shop closures during the past 12 months is “frightening.”

The association, which works with more than 6,000 independent businesses of all sizes across the United Kingdom, has remarked on the latest figures released by the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), which has highlighted that 2022 saw 17,000 sites across the U.K. close shop as “frightening” and “toxic.”

The figures are the highest number seen in five years for U.K. high streets, shopping parades and out-of-town shopping parks, and are 50 per