It's just vape shops, nail shops, charity shops': Can anything save the British high street?

Two decades after Jo and Richard Hill left Rotherham’s city centre shopping scene, they still choose the nearby retail park instead, reflecting a wider shift in how Britons buy. The article looks back to 22 May 1987, when Parkgate Retail World opened in Rotherham—then described as the UK’s largest open-air shopping centre—at an event featuring Marlboro-branded biplanes and a laser show. Today, Parkgate resembles other big-box retail parks, with stores such as Primark, Sports Direct and Matalan. Local shoppers say it’s convenient, while vacancy data show strong demand: by end of 2025, only 4.8% of retail park lots were empty, against 13% vacancies on UK high streets. The piece also notes the social cost, including fewer encounters in town centres.