Last year, Gap withdrew Banana Republic from the UK and BHS went into administration. This week we saw Urban Outfitters CEO announcing tumbling profits and currently the British High Street sees 15 shops close everyday.
With a shopping bag full of nostalgia we take a look at the glory years of the local high street.
Calling all 30-ish year old women who grew up in suburban Britain.
I'd like to take you for a short stroll down the ultimate high street. It's 1996. Let's imagine you're thirteen years old. A copy of Bliss is poking out of the top of your miniature rucksack and you're on a sugar high that can only be created by a Drifter and bottle of Sunny Delight - the original Berroca.
First stop is Tammy Girl
BHS's gift to twelve-year-olds. The daughter of mummy brand Etam, Tammy introduced you to platform pumps, sunflowers and the word 'attitude' which they neatly stamped across white crop tops with ruffled hems.
Bay Trading is next
The only place you'll find size 6 pedal pushers that will fit your prepubescent skinny knees.
Oh and they have spaghetti strap vests too.
Morgan De Toi
Now we couldn't actually afford to buy anything in here. But you'll mentally list some items to beg your parents for at your next birthday. They'll give the same reply they always do 'but, it's just a lilac top with 'Morgan' written on it, for £30. £30!'
You can actually still shop Morgan De Toi, should you wish to, right here.
Kookåi
Exactly the same experience as Morgan.
In fact sometimes you can't work out which store you'd choose if you had to shop in one place for the rest of your life.
Jane Norman
If you have a name like 'Jane Norman' and go into fashion you should change it. Strangely at 13-years-old you didn't question either the glamour of the name or their flammable shirts.
This was where you went to buy classy items to counter the gingham hotpants bought from Tammy.
Ravel
They made shoes you'd only ever seen flat, heeled.
This was literally magic: Heeled loafers, heeled Mary Janes ('dolly shoes' to you), heeled brogues.
And now.... well, we've definitely welcomed the heeled sling back with open arms this year.
Dolcis
The mule is born. 'Don't Speak' by No Doubt is playing. Glory be.
Dorothy Perkins
This was the shop your Mum wanted to spend time in. For the first 11 years of your life, their long blue cardigans bored you to lying on the floor of the changing room swinging the curtain back and forth.
But then, the Dorothy Perkins teenage range arrived and with it tartan A-line skirts and scoop neck skinny ribbed t-shirts in ecru.
Now swing your carrier bags into McDonalds and spend the next three hours working your way through your order of small fries and a barbeque sauce.