Online sales killing shops

With online shopping now accounting for up to a fifth of the countrys retail spending an increase of 20 per cent on last year chains will shut more shops in order to concentrate on online operations.

The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) surveyed 150 major UK retailers and 2,000 customers.

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Online retail is the major show in town and was one of the few good news stories of 2012 in retail

Professor Joshua Bamfield

And it warned that the shift to web-based trading will take high street spending to a historic low.

It means between 3,400 and 4,200 people who work in major stores across Scotland face losing their jobs by March.

The CRR says many areas of retail will be hit, with fashion, DIY, pharmacy, electrical and musical stores taking the biggest hits.

The Scottish Retail Consortium said that there will undoubtedly be store closures and job losses.

Major high street stores which have already announced closures include Argos, axing 75 branches, and Thorntons, with the loss of 120 stores.

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Online sales killing shops