Over 10,000 chain store branches disappeared from Great Britain’s retail locations in 2021. In total, 7,160 shops opened, compared to 17,219 closures, a net decline of 10,059, according to PwC research compiled by the Local Data Company (LDC). Although the net change has worsened since 2020, the number of closures per day has remained stable, 47 in 2021, compared to 48 in 2020. A decline was expected with the ongoing impact of the pandemic and as large retailers, that were on the brink of closure at the end of 2020, exited the market for good. Meanwhile, Government support for chain retailers was mostly phased out in July 2021 adding pressure to those retailers reliant on grants. The East Midlands saw 528 store openings and 1,146 closures, a net change of 618. In the West Midlands, there were 641 openings and 1,676 closures, a net change of 1,035 over 2021. The overall number of openings has declined 26% since 2019, the last year pre-pandemic. So, although there were over 7,000 new openings in 2021, many of these were the natural churn and re-siting of existing stores. Apart from takeaways, at +81, and government job centres, +33, no other category saw more than 20 net openings in 2021. In a continuation of a long term trend, store closures peaked in 2020 in the height of the pandemic. The rate of closures has been growing since the mid-2010s, as more retail and service categories have shifted online. This had previously been offset by the rapid rollout of leisure operators, such as coffee shops, food-to-go and restaurants. However, such openings have slowed down rapidly since the mid 2010s. In better news, the number of closures is now expected to slow down through 2022. The last two years have seen a shake out of some large fashion and department store chains who were on the brink of collapse. With these stores now closed, future store closures should begin to level off. Moreover, bigger chain retailers are more likely to be proactively negotiating with landlords, so the end of the rent moratorium in March 2022 is less likely to affect them. Flight from cities Since the pandemic, city centres and London postcodes have seen an acceleration in net closures as more people work from home or adopt hybrid working patterns. London is again the worst performing region by some margin. Similarly, the underperformance of Birmingham has caused the West Midlands to perform worse than the East Midlands, with towns in the East Midlands more sheltered from the surge of Covid closures. Many will be hoping that hosting the Commonwealth Games in the summer will see a reversal of fortune for Birmingham. Location matters above all else Consumer behaviour is continuing to drive the most change and the choice of shopping location is impacting the number of closures. Retail parks and standalone sites are more insulated from closures. In 2021, retail parks saw the smallest net change of any location (593), compared to high streets (4,287) and shopping centres (1,690). In percentage terms retail parks saw net closures of -4% compared to high streets at -5% and shopping centres at -7%. Fast becoming a trend, retail parks have consistently outperformed shopping centres and high streets for the past 6 years. At the same time, shopping centres have gone from the second best performing locations, in 2015, to the worst performing locations in 2020 and 2021. Undeniably, Covid exacerbated the popularity of retail parks but even since restrictions were lifted, footfall recovery has been much faster in out of town retail parks which benefit from easy access and good parking and bolstered by car travel recovering more quickly than public transport. Moreover, shopping centres have been hit particularly hard by closures of fashion retailers, department stores and casual dining restaurant chains – and therefore less attractive destinations in their own right. Sarah Phillips, Midlands retail & consumer markets leader at PwC, said: “The last two years have been tumultuous for retailers but the closures we’ve seen are an acceleration of what was happening before the pandemic. Changes in consumer behaviour, changing patterns of working and the shift to online is impacting on both retail and service chain operators. “Location matters most to consumers and whilst city centres and shopping centres falter as we have seen in Birmingham, retail parks and standalone operators have broad appeal. However, this summer’s Commonwealth Games will see a reversal of fortune for Birmingham. Multiple operators are taking note of this changing consumer behaviour and are relocating stores to where their customers need them to be. “Many of the CVAs and administrations that took place in early 2021 have now been captured, including department stores, fashion retailers and hospitality operators that have left gaps in city and shopping centre locations. There is a pressing need to radically reshape and even repurpose towns and city centres plagued by these empty units and shopfronts. To regain lost footfall, high streets must understand why retail parks are so attractive to consumers or look for ways to better serve local needs, encouraging independent retailers and entrepreneurs to take this opportunity to grow into the gaps that are emerging.” Categories almost all driven by acceleration online On a sector by sector basis the growth seen in a small number of categories is nowhere near enough to offset the declines in other categories. Leisure dominates growth, with takeaway chains buoyed by a rise in delivery as well as walk-in demand. Smaller chains and franchise operators, such as cake shops and amusement arcades, have also been able to take advantage of lower rents and vacant units to expand their footprints. The big net declines in many other categories reveal the impact of major shifts in how consumers buy and transact. The shift to online, accelerated by consumer behaviour during Covid lockdowns, continues to be the biggest common denominator for closures in both retail and services.

• Fashion is the fastest declining category with almost 4 net closures a day. Several fashion and department store closures chains were acquired by online operators with no ambition to operate stores
• Banks have accelerated their closure programmes during the pandemic, following several years of slowing down closures; banks have been either the number one or two top closing categories in five of the past six years
• The move to online has even impacted the charity sector, which saw a net decline of 557 in 2021
• However, restaurants and pubs have fallen out of the top 10 fastest declining categories, revealing their overcapacity in the mid-2010s is now beginning to even out, resulting in fewer closures

Lucy Stainton, commercial director at The Local Data Company, said: “These latest figures for 2021 show the gap between openings and closures has widened, though hopefully this marks the end of the worst of the structural decline in chain retail exacerbated by the pandemic. “2021 was an extremely challenging period for occupiers, with the first three months lost to a strict lockdown, limitations on international travel impacting tourism, increased migration to online retailing, mobility restricted across all sectors and continuing home working impacting city centres. There is no doubt that the numbers are stark and 2021 saw an acceleration in net closures across this sector, which in isolation looks dramatic. “However, it’s also worth noting that vacancy rates have started to stabilise across the market, meaning that the number of empty shops is no longer increasing. This is due to a significant uptick in independent retail and leisure businesses opening sites in units left vacant by chains. The rental tone is softening and more space has become available in prime locations previously occupied by bigger brands, paving the way for new and up and coming operators. This trend is significant for a number of reasons, not least because, in theory, the growing independent operators of today are potentially the chains of tomorrow. As these businesses gain momentum, they also gain better infrastructure and stability. “Ultimately, these latest statistics on the performance of the chain sector should not be viewed in isolation and don’t point to ‘the death of the high street’, but rather represent a last shakeout of some of the heritage brands, paving the way for new operators and so the constant evolution of physical retail continues.”

Loram UK, the rail and rolling stock maintenance specialists, has agreed a major partnership with Network Rail to service its New Measurement Train (NMT). The seven-figure agreement will see Derby-based Loram UK conduct a major mid-life overhaul of the NMT, known affectionately as the Flying Banana because of its yellow livery and high-speed operation. The NMT monitors and records track condition information at speeds up to 125mph, helping identify faults before they become a safety issue or affect line performance. It also helps to prevent unnecessary maintenance work. Network Rail said the train was the “most technically advanced train of its type in the world.” The agreement is the latest between Loram UK and Network Rail and Andrew Watson, Loram UK’s international business development director, said the programme would be vital to extending the life and performance of the Flying Banana. He said: “There is only one in the UK so the work it does is vital in measuring rail infrastructure to allow maintenance to take place and keep high-speed rail going. “When you consider how important high-speed rail is to the UK, whether it is moving people or goods, the importance of the NMT cannot be understated and we are very proud to be working on it.” The train, converted from an Intercity train, is equipped with high-tech measurement systems, track scanners, and high-resolution cameras, measuring the condition of the tracks and overhead line equipment at high speed. It records data points, which are then passed to the relevant infrastructure managers to assess. Mr Watson said: “Without it and the monitoring work it does, high speed trains would not run at high speed. What we will be doing is essentially amid-life extension programme for the next 12-14 months. “We are delighted to be continuing to grow our trusted partner relationship with Network Rail to provide maintenance and service work for them.”

The work of Derby’s apprentices and employers was celebrated as part of the 15th National Apprenticeships week (7-13 February). Apprenticeships are a great way to develop yourself and learn new knowledge and skills while working on the job. However, apprenticeships also allow for you to take the first steps towards a new career, all while being paid and gaining vital workplace experience. Here’s what some of the Council’s apprentices say about their experience: Accounts Receivable Business Admin Apprentice Ella Duhaney 18 said: “You get an understanding of what it’s like in the working world, with the training a job provides, while earning a wage at the same time.” School Organisation and Provision Business Admin Apprentice Michael Smra 21 said: “It is very useful to know that we have support outside of the team that we work with, if we need it.” Apprenticeships are not just for school leavers. We offer various levels of apprenticeships up to the equivalent of a degree. Within the Council, we have lots of different apprenticeship opportunities available to take advantage of, regardless of your age or background. The full list of apprenticeships we offer can be viewed on our apprenticeships page. We work with the best local training providers to ensure the best possible learning for our apprentices all while allowing you to gain on the job skills within your team. Sarah Webster was recently crowned the College of Business, Law and Social Science Apprentice of the Year. She joined Derby City Council’s Park Team in 2004 and was inspired to take an apprenticeship in Strategic Leadership after conversations with colleagues. Sarah says: “I had always been particularly interested in undertaking a MSc Degree. The apprenticeship has provided me with a brilliant opportunity to expand my skills, interests and knowledge and apply it to my everyday work. “A requirement of the apprenticeship scheme was to have the support of a Senior Leader mentor within the organisation, who helped to challenge the academic learning, bring it in to a real-world context and this provide guidance and support throughout the apprenticeship. “There is no typical day within the Parks Team; it is very varied and can alter from one minute to the next. I deal with anything from an issue on a park, to leading volunteer tasks, working alongside and support one of the 26 Friends groups and stakeholders within the city, to dealing with strategic decisions linked to parks development and management plans for Local Nature Reserves and anything in between. You can’t make it up in this business and keeps you on your toes. “I hope to continue to work within the field of conservation, environment, and community engagement, continuing to tackle and bring about change to help address and respond to the many challenges that face the city and wider in relation to climate crisis and loss of biodiversity. By bringing the knowledge and experiences that I have gained through the apprenticeship to my area of work. “The apprenticeship programme has been a great opportunity for me to meet others, both internal to the City Council, as well as external organisations such as Derby University, NHS, and private sector to discuss, challenge and pass on experience around the different theories, challenge the way things are done and gain an insight into new areas of the business. I have found it challenging at times fitting it all in especially during the pandemic, but it has been a really worthwhile, enjoyable and interesting experience that I would totally recommend to others.” Cllr Evonne Williams, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills at Derby City Council said: “The apprentices are a vital part of Derby City Council and the services we provide for the city. Apprenticeships are a great opportunity for anyone, whether you’re looking to start your career or re-train into something different and can very often lead into permanent positions afterwards.” As part of the National Apprenticeships Week campaign, our apprenticeships team hosted a question-and-answer session on our social media channels to see what future apprentices wanted to know about the process. These frequently asked questions from this session can be viewed online. Although National Apprenticeships Week was a great opportunity to showcase our apprentices and the current vacancies we have, we offer support and training all year round. We are currently working with various local employers as part of the Derby Jobs Live events to showcase the opportunities in the city, most recently with rail giant Alstom which is recruiting for 30 graduates and apprentices Our support doesn’t end there, as we also always aim to support employers recruiting new staff as apprentices. Derby City Council joined forces with the University of Derby, the Department of Work and Pensions, and the Derby College Group to host the Get On Board With Apprenticeships event for employers. Around 10 local employers attended the two-hour information-based event to learn about the benefits of hiring apprentices and how they could apply for additional funding from the Council’s Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Fund to offset the costs of training and assessment Eligible businesses must have a head office within the Derby City Council area boundary and are able to meet the requirements of the Education and Skills Funding Agency for transfer. Further information about the requirements can be found online. Alternatively, if you’d like to find out more about the current vacancies available at Derby City Council.