Death of the high street: special report

. The ailing department store chain had gone into administration. But barely an hour later – there was a new £90m deal to keep it in business

Another big-name casualty on the British high street now, with the loss-making DIY chain Homebase set to announce the closure of up to 80 stores

On another bruising day for Britain’s retail sector, five thousand jobs are at risk at Poundworld as the company prepares to appoint administrators. Six thousand more could be in jeopardy at House of Fraser, which is closing more than half its stores around the country. That includes its flagship branch in London’s Oxford Street – leaving staff in…

Will the chancellor’s autumn statement, on 5 December, help our struggling high streets? Siobhan Kennedy gauges the mood.

Mary Portas hits back at retail chief Bill Grimsey, who criticised her “nostalgic” approach to saving the high street, as the two retail giants do battle.

The British high street is back in business, says a new survey – but is it full of charity shops and discount stores? We’re trying to find out as #c4newspopup tours Britain this week. You tell us!

Buy one, get one free: shops are wooing consumers with offers and vouchers, pushing down the rise in food prices to their lowest in almost three years.

New planning rules enforced today could see pubs and betting shops operating under the same roof, critics say.

Buy now while stocks last: everything must go. Going “down the shops” is fast becoming a thing of the past, as a new report warns that one in five high street stores could close by 2018.

Ed Miliband vows that a Labour government will bring in powers to stop high streets from being swamped with payday lenders and betting shops, as he launches his party’s local election campaign.

Barclays says finance director Chris Lucas, the only remaining top ranking executive at the bank following the Libor scandal, is to retire, along with group general counsel Mark Harding.

Former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy describes the rise of supermarkets and the closure of small shops as “part of progress”, but what do you think?

Stores closed and jobs lost: it is a bad start to the year for the High Street. The British Retail Consortium says half the country’s shops will cut staff numbers in the first three months of 2013.

Hilco UK acquires HMV’s £176m debt, giving it control of the retailer and reigniting prospects of the store’s survival, as HMV gift vouchers are now being accepted again.