Retail veterans Bill Grimsey and Mary Portas have once again come to blows following criticism from Mr Grimsey that the television presenter has given Britain’s high streets “false hope”. The news comes as Mr Grimsey himself plans to launch an alternative review which will be published in the autumn.

Posted by Joe Stearn

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The Future High Streets Forum has been created to advise 27 British towns on how to carry out the redevelopment of their high streets and town centres. Mark Prisk, local growth minister, stated that "It is clear that our high streets will need to change to prosper. There is already great work being done across the country to revitalise the town centres, but it needs to spread further faster”.

Posted by Ryan Legge

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Like-for-like sales at the department store rose 1.7 per cent in the first half, thanks to a 60 per cent rise in online sales. EBITDA for the 13 weeks to 28 July rose 0.8 per cent to £12.5 million, a positive trend which the retailer expects to continue, with like-for-like sales in the first eight weeks of its second half up 4.6 per cent, cash profit rising 3 per cent.

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In a bid to boost the department store’s struggling sales, Marks & Spencer this week former House of Fraser fashion boss Stephanie Chen to run its childrenswear and homeware departments. According to a report by the Guardian, Chen will take over from current childrenswear director Karl Doyle, who will leave the retailer in 2013 “to pursue opportunities outside the company”.

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“We need government to stand up and actually do something positive” head of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Rob Templeman told delegates at the Retail Symposium 2012 on Tuesday, as reported by Reuters. In something of a call to arms for the retail industry, Templeman criticised the government for failing to do enough to improve the state of the high streets, adding that the Portas Pilot towns “lacked bold vision”.

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Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale has told reporters a Mary Portas-backed high street rejeuventation scheme will continue in spite of recent controversy which saw Portas tell local traders "you either let the cameras in with me or I go back on the train and some other town gets it.”

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The Local Data Company (LDC) has pledged its support of the Portas Pilots project, and will be providing key metrics for the first round of high street trialists. Twelve towns across the country have been chosen to share the £1 million grant of government funds to help rejuvinate their town centres.

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The first 12 towns to become Portas Pilots were unveiled on Monday, as Mary Portas admits she has been “deeply touched” by the nation’s reaction to the initiative. Of the 370 towns that applied, only 12 will get to share the £1.2 million granted to the first round of Portas Pilots scheme, following the Portas' review of the high streets last year.

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It may have been one of the wettest Aprils on record, but it didn’t stop House of Fraser seeing a positive boost in like-for-like sales for its first quarter. The British department store group said like-for-like sales grew 2.6 per cent in the 13 weeks to 28 April, following a 3 per cent rise for the previous quarter to January.

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The government has announced that it plans to go ahead with “virtually all” of the recommendations given by retail guru Mary Portas in its attempts to rejuvenate the High Street, according to the BBC.

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