The future for the high street
Shopping in the 21st century: the new retail experience
Britain’s high streets are changing faster than at any time since the Victorian era.On the shelves and racks, products appear and disappear almost monthly. And the marketing strategies behind them come and go nearly as quickly. The one constant is that consumer demand is the driving force, and now at least it seems to be a force for progress.
Teena Lyons strolls through Clone Town Britain looking at the roles of chain stores, Jon Mainwaring reports on the move towards organic, free-range, fair-trade. The agricultural correspondent Sarah Birchall is following a typical crop from seedling to shelf. Fashion, is about to get a taste of its own medicine, writes Susie Mesure. And Ruth Elkins talks to boutique owners about the struggle to carve a niche for themselves between the mighty chains.
