For the past 20 years, online trading has been dominating the world of retail. I still remember launching Waitrose’s 
“@work” online shopping and home delivery service in 1997 – and since then, increasing numbers of books, records and toys have been bought online, causing many high street brands to go out of business.

Ecommerce continues to grow in all areas, offering new jobs and business opportunities, but also applying economic pressure to the traditional shop model.

That pressure has been added to by increased business rates, upward-only rents, the apprenticeship levy and the National Living Wage. And you can add to that increased import costs following the devaluation of sterling, which,...