The high street crisis: How many more warnings does government need?

The start of 2025 has delivered a devastating series of blows to Britain's high streets, with WHSmith considering the sale of all 500 UK stores, Lloyds Banking Group announcing 136 branch closures, Sainsbury's cutting 3,000 jobs, Morrisons reducing its workforce by 200, and Tesco eliminating 400 positions. This isn't just another cycle of retail change – it's a fundamental collapse of high street infrastructure.

The sheer scale of these closures should sound alarm bells in Westminster. We're witnessing the systematic dismantling of services that have supported local communities for generations.

The government's response to this crisis has been woefully inadequate. While ministers talk about levelling-up and supporting local communities, their inaction tells a different story. The cost of running physical stores has become nearly impossible to sustain, with business rates, energy costs, and staffing expenses creating an unsustainable burden for retailers.

Banks justify their closures by pointing to online banking uptake, but this ignores the vital role these branches play in our communities. Since 2015, Britain has lost over 6,000 bank branches. The promised alternatives – banking hubs and Post Office services – are struggling to fill the void, particularly in rural areas. Now, with WHSmith potentially selling their stores, many of which house Post Office counters, we face losing yet another essential community service.

These closures create a domino effect. When anchor stores and banks close, footfall decreases dramatically. This impacts every business in the area, particularly independent retailers who rely on the customer traffic generated by these larger establishments. Each closure makes the next one more likely.

The government must wake up to this crisis. We need meaningful reform of business rates, support for modernisation, and incentives for businesses to maintain physical premises. The current approach of watching from the sidelines while our high streets crumble is not just short-sighted - it's destructive.

Andrew Goodacre

Online shopping will continue to grow, but physical retail remains vital. High streets aren't just about transactions, they're about community, employment, and the character of our towns and cities. When we lose these spaces, we lose more than just shops – we lose the heart of our communities.

How many more major retailers need to close? How many more jobs must be lost? The time for half-measures and empty promises has passed. We need decisive action now to save what remains of our high streets before it's too late.