How is coronavirus shaping the retail landscape for the Midlands?

  • Central
Supermarkets have reported an increase in sales during the pandemic. Credit: ITV News Central

With parts of our high street said to be under threat even before coronavirus and the impact the disease has had on the economy since, what is the future of retail in the Midlands?

A number of household names have had to call in the administrators as the financial strain added by Covid-19 became too much.

  • Laura Ashley (23rd March)

  • Debenhams (9th April)

  • Oasis and Warehouse (15th April)

  • Cath Kidston (21st April)

Some believe the pandemic could change the way we shop, at least for the short term.

This could be of benefit to small independent stores, as Andrew Goodacre, British Independent Retailers Association CEO, explains.

There has been pressure to diversify online, with a lot of retailers in the Midlands having to follow similar models to survive.

Watch Mark Kielesz-Levine's report into the potential future of the way we shop, below.

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know