Momentum is the lifeblood of successful change. And, the more I reread the Government’s response to the Portas review, the more I’m convinced it has failed to harness the spirit and passion behind the Queen of Shops’ initial intentions. 

Momentum is the lifeblood of successful change. And, the more I reread the Government’s response to the Portas review, the more I’m convinced it has failed to harness the spirit and passion behind the Queen of Shops’ initial intentions. 

Yes, it has accepted nearly every recommendation Mary Portas put forward – although there will be relief among some big retailers that there has been no further restriction on out-of-town developments – but the short-term wins essential to creating a driving force behind such a vision are lacking.

The UK high street remains such an emotive subject that it is hardly surprising a war of words is brewing over the divided response to the plan, with housing minister Grant Shapps calling its critics “misinformed”. 

“Not only did we accept nearly every recommendation Mary Portas put forward, but we’ve actually gone further,” he argued, before revealing details of the Government’s plans to boost Britain’s struggling high streets through its ‘Portas Plus’ strategy.

Much of this is to be welcomed, and a vision for the future of the high street looks to be in place. But, too much of what has been proposed is skewed to that future, and not enough is being done about the here and now.

The cost of doing business on the high street remains prohibitively expensive. If the Government is surprised by the tepid endorsement of its plans, it must understand the everyday pressure on profitability that retailers face.

Tens of millions have been pledged to return the high streets to former glories. But as the industry digests these figures, attention is also consumed by the extra £350m it will need to find to meet the hike in business rates.

Until the Government recognises the clear and present danger facing retailers, the high street’s immediate decline will put paid to any grand vision. 

Game grabs an extra life

Investment firm OpCapita is becoming something of a white knight for beleaguered retailers, adding Game to its recent acquisition of Comet, and, in so doing, securing the immediate future of 333 stores and 3,200 staff. Finally, the business of turning Game into a viable high street retailer can begin again. Its road to success will touch upon many of the key challenges facing the sector and it will be one of the most keenly watched journeys of recent times.