LONDON – Independent shops have experienced a major setback in British high streets (town centers), following an increase in suburban shopping centers, the Daily Mail reports. New research from the Local Data Company and the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) showed that the number of new independent shops plummeted to one a week last year from a high of 11 a day in 2010. Independent stores last year only jumped by 0.11%—a paltry 117 locations—compared to 4% (nearly 4,000 stores) in 2010.

The biggest growth areas were cafes/tearooms, barbers, tobacconists, hair/beauty salons and bars/restaurants. For example, e-cigarette stores and tobacconist shops advanced 54%.

Matthew Hopkinson, Local Data Company director, said, “A number of factors are at play but one of the major factors has been the move of many high street anchor retailers such as Next, M&S and River Island moving from the high street shop to out-of-town retail parks. These moves result in lower footfall volumes as people follow them out of town, which has a big impact for the smaller retailers left behind.”

Meanwhile, Michael Weedon, BIRA deputy chief executive, interpreted the data as revealing a “powerful rebalancing” toward convenience, leisure and service retailers.