In the UK, city centres are dying. The local taxation (business rates) based on the premises has become enormously expensive and travel into cities more time consuming and expensive. Parking is both very expensive and inconvenient - and more and more cities are having/considering 'congestion charges' and 'environmental charges' on vehicles. This can be upwards of GBP 10 per day on top of any other charges.
I suspect (and very much hope) that the Dickson operation will continue 'out of town' as indeed William Powell have done after closing their Birmingham home where they had been for about 200 years.
Businesses (especially those with perceived 'rich' clients) have been treated as cash cows - and the effects are being felt.
Many old established businesses (a local example was a tailors that had been in the same premises for over 100 years) have given up under the onslaught, and either moved out of town, to mail order only, or quietly retired altogether. A great shame.
