Majority of looting victims ‘are independents’

Most of the retailers and leisure operators affected by the civil unrest in the past week in Manchester and Liverpool are likely to be independent businesses, according to initial estimates by the Local Data Company.

LDC said more than 60% of retail and leisure businesses in the two cities are independent. The researcher found 48,404 shops, pubs, restaurants, pubs and clubs in 28 towns, cities and London boroughs that have been directly or indirectly impacted by the disorder. The Local Data Company tracks the performance of 475,809 retail and leisure premises across the country. This means that more than 10% of UK retail and leisure firms have been hit.

Independent businesses, defined as having less than five outlets, account for 65.67% of the total and it is these that have the most to lose.

Matthew Hopkinson, director of the Local Data Company, commented: "These figures are horrifying in terms of the damage that has been done to an already struggling sector. The retail sector is a major contributor to inner city regeneration projects as well as employing thousands of people. The fact that over 65% of those affected are independents shows how random and thoughtless the actions of this criminal minority are. These businesses are the livelihoods of many people and the ability to bounce back from this has yet to be seen. It is the last thing that the High Street let alone the country needed. It is important that the law abiding majority offer as much support as they can to these affected businesses."