Oxford Street CLOSED for business: Big brands have abandoned London's iconic shopping destination

Oxford Street was once the flagship location for Britain’s high-end stores but the shopping destination is becoming increasingly abandoned by the big name brands that earned it such esteem.

Photos taken by MailOnline have revealed how Oxford Street has suffered and is now home to empty shells of ornate stonework stores that used to house some of the UK’s most famous brands.

Tom Ironside, Director of Business & Regulation at the British Retail Consortium, told MailOnline: ‘The number of empty storefronts remains around 10 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels.’ 

As big names such as Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Debenhams, Oasis and Warehouse disappeared, city centres across the country were left with empty windows and people instead searching for their favourite labels online.

Despite this, shoppers continue to creep back, with footfall up 10% year-on-year last week and up 38% since the beginning of the year, according to New West End Company, which represents 600 retailers and hoteliers in the area.

Britain’s high streets were already in a state of decline as shoppers increasingly turned to online fast fashion.

Yet the pandemic has been blamed for the eventual closures of popular shops.

Big name brands have fled Oxford Street, leaving behind ghost stores in the once-iconic shopping destination. 

Source of data and images: dailymail