The UK's retail sector has evolved rapidly in the last few decades. Our nation of shopkeepers is now, in fact, a nation of consumers, for whose attention multiple co-existing shopping channels jostle with varying degrees of success. While significant academic, legal and political attention has been paid to the rigours of changing demand in the average high street, the demand for out-of-town parks or the logistical pressures of a shift online, the common corner shop has been overlooked. And yet, as the Coronavirus pandemic has highlighted dramatically, demand for this humble offering is resurrected in a crisis. This research study will consider the extent to which corner shops and other local shopping offers might offer a longer-term template for a sustainable model of future retail.
I am a lawyer specialising in commercial real estate, with a keen interest in the structures and urban flows that support equitable, sustainable development.