UK violence will ‘leave a scar’ on High Streets, trade body warns

Retail NI’s chief executive Glyn Roberts described the weekend’s attacks on Belfast businesses as “despicable”.

“Racism has no place in our community,” he said, adding that those behind the action should be “brought to justice”.

Dr Rachel Doern from Goldsmiths University said the overall impact of the riots across UK town and cities would be “enormous”.

She said small, independent businesses in particular may be forced to close their doors for good, while others may struggle financially for years to come.

Her previous research, external suggested that more than 2,000 mostly small, independent businesses were affected by the London riots in 2011, which led to five deaths and saw properties and shops across England destroyed.

It estimated that the four days of violence cost the UK between £200m and £500m in damages, lost trade and policing.

Owners of franchises and branches of bigger brands have also spoken out after their stores were targeted.

Retailer Lush, best known for its cosmetics and fragrant beauty products, saw its shop in Hull damaged and looters were pictured leaving the store with handfuls of bags and boxes.

The company said it was “devastated” about what has happened to its “beautiful shop” in Hull, as well as other nearby retailers.

Its head of retail for UK & Ireland, Kasey Swithenbank, said that it is proud to be part of a “multi-racial Britain” and that its shop manager and workers had “worked tirelessly” to get the shop ready to start trading again.

On-site, contractors helped repair windows and doors while cleaners worked through the night, she said.

In Sunderland, one travel consultant at the Hays Travel Vine Place branch said that two young protestors had thrown bricks through their windows during the weekend.

She questioned why the firm was targeted as a Sunderland-based business that tries to do good and said that the protestors did not represent the city.

On Monday, the boss of the British Retail Consortium said that many would have been heading to work fearing that their safety could be compromised by the vandalism that has taken grip in some parts of the country.

Helen Dickinson said some retail workers were spending their day cleaning up damage and in some instances may not be able to visit their local stores.