UK loses 83% of department stores since BHS collapsed
The demise of department stores in the UK has been partly driven by the rise of supermarkets and out of town retail parks.<p>UK towns are historically car unfriendly, frequently jammed with traffic, and car parks are costly.  Local councils have permitted out of town retail parks with their own free parking often building new dual carriageways and roads to reach them.  People preferentially go there instead.<p>Supermarkets moved out of town, so no need to go into your local town for necessities, i.e. food any more, therefore no more casual shopping. And lastly supermarkets and other shops have started selling clothes, kitchenware, and electronics all of which used to be in department stores.<p>There&#x27;s no necessary reason (food) to venture into your own town any more.<p>Local council planners mostly caused this, and the internet finished them off.  The irony that every local council in England talks about &#x27;saving the high street&#x27;, without the self awareness that they caused the problem, and are still causing it.