1400 UK retailers stand on the verge of collapse
It has been revealed that over 1400 UK retailers are on the verge of collapse in 2009 with 440 companies apparently at serious risk of going under in the first four months. The situation appears to be worse than anybody had thought with sales under pressure, prices falling fast and cost savings very hard to come by. When you also consider the added pressure from the banking community where finance is very thin on the ground the situation is dire for the UK retail sector.
The UK government's VAT reduction had a minimal impact on sales and even the numerous discount days before and after the Christmas period seem to have benefited the larger companies more than the small to medium-sized retailers. The UK high street is set to undergo a serious change in the months ahead and there are concerns that many consumers would be lost to the online market which is growing in popularity.
We have seen some of the biggest names on the high street struggle, we have seen well-known names go under but if forecasts are correct this is very much just the tip of the iceberg. Billions of pounds have been wiped off the share values of some of the U.K.'s best-known companies as cash flow has all but dried up for many.
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