Oxford Street: why London’s shopping mecca can’t trade on past glories
theguardian.comThe Christmas lights are on along the nation’s busiest high street, but beneath their festive glow about a quarter of the outlets are either empty, or housing temporary shops.
Alongside the shuttered stores and building sites on London’s Oxford Street are now at least a dozen shops selling confectionery, cheap souvenirs or perfume, giving it the air of a rundown seaside resort rather than a global retail destination.
Big names including Topshop, Debenhams, Gap, French Connection and Carphone Warehouse have disappeared, while others, such as Next and Monsoon have reduced their space. And little wonder: in the second year of the pandemic, sales in the Oxford Street area, including Regent Street and Bond Street, dropped by £8bn to £2bn last year
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