After a year of poor sales, high street retailers in the UK are warning about the ongoing long-term viability of the sector. British shops had been pinning their hopes on a strong festive season – but new figures show sales remained mostly flat for traditional brick-and-mortar stores. With a stagnant economy and a cost-of-living crisis, there’s now growing concern that the government’s recent budget is going to put more financial pressure on retailers. John Bevir reports.
