The Portas Review has been “one of the most significant” developments for the retail industry, Mary Portas, the self-titled retail guru, said at Retail Week Live today.

Mary Portas, Retail Week Live

Portas, who set out 28 recommendations to help kick-start struggling UK high streets through the Government’s Portas Review in December 2011, said she believes she has successfully raised awareness of such a big retail issue.

“I don’t think [The Portas Review] has ended up in the filing cabinet,” she said. “It has been on the news agenda constantly.

“I’m pleased it has been of such national interest and it has empowered people to say I actually care about my local high street.”

She defended the time it has taken to see high streets implementing new ideas now that a year has passed.

“I haven’t put a timeline on this,” she said. “The result of what happens on the high street is going to take years, and so for me to have thought it could have got further down the line by now would have been a false hope.”

She admitted that she doesn’t have the answers on how to rescue high streets but added that she hoped she created a report that represented the sector.

She added: “I spent nine months researching and travelling the country and meeting landlords and retailers.

“At times it was extraordinarily lonely because I don’t know the answers. This is just research that I have done and coming from a brand marketers point of view what would I do with the high street.

“So I hope I’ve listened enough and if not I would love as many stakeholders to get on board and help and assist.

“I’ve just started it but now it’s down to other people and say how can we get involved in this and make a change.”

But Bill Grimsey, former Focus DIY boss, challenged Portas on this view that it is now down to the Government to push the recommendations through. He praised her for raising the profile of retail but said by her now dropping out of the process it’s like “blowing up a balloon and just letting it go all round the room”.

Portas said: “I think I have given as much as I can at this time. I don’t think I have let the balloon go at all.

“I have done as much work as I possibly can to take it to the next level. I don’t have the infrastrucutre to do that.

“It is something that has to be invested in by the Government. I would love to think that the people that are in business like yourself would do something.”

Mary Portas at Retail Week Live