High streets are the beating heart of our communities—full of character, connection, and originality. Yet many independents are under pressure from rising costs, shifting habits, and online competition.

We have partnered with  SaveTheHighstreet.org and Hello Thriver to offer our readers a free business health-checks. Try Hello Thriver free today — get your business health check (open to all) and, exclusively for our readers, a FREE hands-on job done for your business by the Thriver team using code SAF2025.

The 5-minute health-check tells you exactly what's working in your business, what's not and what you need to do next. 

 

 

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Once a staple of the British high street, River Island has in recent years found itself squeezed from all sides. Rising costs, wavering consumer confidence, and the relentless growth of online fast fashion have chipped away at profits, while its mid-market positioning has left it vulnerable—too expensive to compete with bargain retailers, yet lacking the cachet of premium brands. Like many high-street names, it has faced the painful reality that maintaining a large store estate is no longer sustainable.