Coronavirus drives shop closures to new record

Lisa Hooker, consumer markets leader at PwC, says amid the turmoil, there continues to be a steady flow of openings: “With the continued roll out of value retailers, the boom in takeaways and pizza delivery shops and demand for services that can still only be delivered locally, such as tradesmen outlets, building products or locksmiths, shows that despite the stark numbers there remains a future for physical stores.