AT a time when shoppers have been keeping their purses closed, no one doubts that life is a challenge for retailers.
But some of the challenges they face have been exaggerated or misunderstood. The survey that suggested nearly a third of Nottingham's shops were empty has been discredited, and the immediate threat posed by internet shopping is not so much that people won't visit the high street but that shops there must cut prices to compete.
While there may be little that councils can do about big economic trends eating away at retailing, that doesn't mean it's wrong to invest in trying to encourage more people to come to town.
So Nottingham City Council is to be congratulated on a grant scheme which could help bring empty shops back to life by giving landlords money to make them look more attractive. While some parts of the city centre are clearly doing well, others look down-at-heel. This needs tackling. But it shouldn't just be local government that does its bit to help shops in particular areas.
One of the biggest costs in retailing is the rates paid on shop premises, which are currently at levels based on out-dated boom era property prices. A Government-ordered rating revaluation would be music to retailers' ears.