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I don't think any of this is a surprise for retailers.

We're a realistic and pragmatic bunch and I think most of now know that customers in turn are now promiscuous and disloyal, in the nicest possible way. And who can blame them? It's human nature after all to go for the easiest, most attractive and sometimes the cheapest options available.

Make an environment easy to shop and people will shop there. The larger malls worked this out years ago and have been steadily chipping away at the market share previously inhabited by town centres and high streets.

Easy access for cars and or reliable public transport, free or very cheap parking and a diverse range of attractive stores all in one place. That is the magic formula, and it's not exactly a revelation is it?

In contrast our high streets are often difficult and expensive to get to and those consumers that do make the effort find them clogged with duplicated uses such as coffee bars, mobile phone shops and usual suspect brands.

The smaller, independent, more eclectic stores are driven out by massively high rent and rates and with them goes all vestige of individuality and excitement in the shopping experience.

Don't want a phone, a cup of coffee, a burger or the same pair of shoes your workmate is wearing? Then don't bother with your local shops. Just jump in the car and hit the out of town mall where you'll find everything your local high street has and much more on offer.

The only thing that will re-vitalise the high streets is to create an atmosphere and an experience that can compete with the malls. To do that they must make the trading environment consummate with the realities there at the moment.

Rent and rates have to be controlled and brought down to manageable levels thereby encouraging diversity of offer. And not just for new stores, this has to be a long term commitment. Then councils must be compelled to take the needs of business into account when planning access and parking schemes. Solve the core problems of doing business in these areas and then deal with the fine tuning later.

Those are much more realistic goals than an expectation that modern consumers are going to be attracted to town centres by a market day or some kind of civic Dunkirk spirit.