Decline of the British high street - in pictures

A boarded-up Woolworths store in Stoke-on-Trent. For decades, Britain’s high streets have been struggling to compete with out-of-town outlets. All photos: Getty Images
Vacant shops such as these in Northampton have become commonplace across the country
A closed-down Debenhams department store on the high street in Eastbourne
More than 17,000 shops shut last year – an average of 45 a day – as Britain's high street woes were compounded by the pandemic
Closed-down shops in the centre of Cheltenham
The cost-of-living crisis has also affected footfall, with latest figures showing about 14 per cent of high-street premises are empty