What: An English retail expert advocates for a complete review of the retail portfolio in the UK.

Why it is important:  If such a reassessment was to be done, that might be an opportunity for English department stores to become central again, after a four decades old of competing with brands’ retail networks.

Sir John Timpson, owner of the UK shoe repair chain Timpson and member of the UK government’s high street experts panel, advocates that the high street retail scene is still too crowded in the country, and not diversified enough.

For him, the whole property portfolio needs to be reviewed and reassessed, even if this means that high street retail leaves room to other types of activities, such as leisure, entertainment, hospitality or medical services.

He appeals to the government to make decisions and new regulations, and believes that such a situation is the natural consequence of the appearance of supermarkets, retail parks and e-commerce, badly hitting city centres.

Is the UK about to downsizing the number of high street retail units?