//
According to the Guardian today (July 25th), the UK retail sector may never regain its prime position when it comes to offering investors the safest bets in real estate.
Rising oil prices and the ailing British economy have forced shoppers to tighten their belts, reports the newspaper. As a result, many of the country's top retailers are calling for relief from quarterly advance rental payments in a bid to avoid bankruptcy.
Great Portlands Estates chief executive Toby Courtauld said: "I wouldn't want to be in provincial shopping at all right now ... I'm not sure I would even want to be in high-street shopping."
Recent figures revealed that retail sales in the UK fell by 3.9 per cent last month.
