The boss of John Lewis has called for a royal commission into Britain’s high streets, which she said risk becoming “looting grounds” for crime and overrun with vacant shops. Sharon White, chair of the John Lewis Partnership, which also owns Waitrose, said some UK towns and cities have become “shells of their former selves”.
She claimed that a royal commission, an impartial public investigation, could provide them with a much-needed boost. Instead of focusing on specific problems like tax, crime, planning, housing, and environmental policy, she claimed that a “holistic view” of the issues high streets face is necessary.
According to a survey published in July by the British Retail Consortium, 6,000 stores have closed in the past five years, mostly as a result of “crippling business rates and the impact of the Covid lockdowns.”
Her appeal comes as some of the largest retailers in the nation urged the Chancellor to freeze their property taxes, arguing that a rise in rates could raise their costs by about £400 million annually.
Major brands like Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and B&Q are among those who sent Jeremy Hunt a letter on Monday in an effort to stop expenses from becoming out of control for already stressed-out companies.
Sharon claimed that merchants are “unfairly hit” by business rates, and she added that a royal commission might produce recommendations for a more equitable system that keeps up with changing high street trends and consumer behaviour.
Ten of the largest retailers in the UK have agreed to contribute money to Project Pegasus, a police campaign to combat shoplifting.
One of the businesses set to contribute roughly £ 600,000 to the project that will use CCTV images and facial recognition technology to better understand shoplifting operations is John Lewis.
Sharon argued that the UK needed a comprehensive strategy to combat organised crime and urged for the nationalisation of Scottish legislation that makes mistreating a retail worker a crime.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
