"Town centres are suffering both natural and manmade damage, but independents are weathering the storm and are showing signs of a naturally regenerative ability that can revive the high streets of the country – if they are freed from the shackles that hamper them."

says the trade association for independent retailers, the British Independent Retailers Association (bira).

Announcing the findings of new quantitative research undertaken with the Local Data Company (LDC) bira has shown that while closures of independent shops still outnumber openings, the gap has narrowed dramatically and promises to overtake closures if the trends of the last three years continue.