A major problem facing the traditional shopping centre is that major high street chains are rapidly disappearing, with prominent names such as John Lewis, Topshop and Marks and Spencer either disappearing entirely or considerably downscaling the number of physical outlets. Coupled with a severe decline in dining out and the huge boom in online shopping, many centres have simply become unsustainable and can’t compete with the major online retail platforms. An estimated 30% of casual shopping is now carried out over the Internet, with younger people particularly likely to buy online. Rising transport and parking costs have also accelerated the decline in town centre shopping.

Shopping centre demolition is not merely being used for office or living space; while some of the country’s wealthier areas have a growing need for housing and business premises, there are also some regions aiming to transform their outdated retail parks into urban living or leisure spaces. New parks are planned in various Midlands and North Eastern towns and cities, with Nottingham particularly investing in the creation of more town centre green spaces. Plans will also depend on affordability, especially where the former retail venues were council owned and which will have seen a huge loss in their initial investment.