来源：《每日电讯报》
原文刊登日期：2021年2月2日
The online retailer Asos has bought the Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge brands and their stock from the failed Arcadia group. But it is not taking the 70 or so stores or the thousands of staff that worked in them. There was a similar story last week when Boohoo purchased Debenhams but left the 118 shops and some 12,000 employees behind. Since they are both internet traders, they had no need of the buildings or the staff but we are seeing a trend that will transform the look of our high streets.
在线零售商Asos从破产的阿卡迪亚集团手中收购了Topshop、Topman和Miss-Selfridge品牌以及它们的库存。但这并不包括70家左右的门店，也不包括在其中工作的数千名员工。上周，Boohoo收购了Debenhams，但留下了118家店铺和约1.2万名员工。由于它们都是网上零售商，它们不需要大楼或员工，但我们看到了一种趋势，这将改变我们的商业街的外观。
To some extent, it was happening before the pandemic, but it has been accelerated by the number of people stuck at home and buying goods online. Sir Philip Green, the owner of Arcadia, was notoriously sceptical about the benefits of shifting at least part of his business online and his shops failed to move with the times.
从某种程度上说，疫情爆发前就已经出现了这种趋势，但由于被困在家里并在网上购物的人越来越多，这一趋势加快了。众所周知，阿卡迪亚(Arcadia)的所有者菲利普•格林爵士对至少将部分业务转移到网上的好处持怀疑态度，他的店铺未能跟上时代的步伐。
When so-called “non-essential” stores are allowed to reopen, they will find a very different customer base awaiting them. The ease of home ordering measured against the inconvenience of getting to the shops will require them to offer more than they have previously to attract people back in. The Government can help by easing local tax and business rates regimes beyond the period of lockdown to aid their competitiveness.
当所谓的“非必需”商店获准重新开业时，它们将发现一个非常不同的客户群在等着它们。家庭订购的便捷性与到达商店的不便之处相比较，将要求实体商店提供比以前更多的服务来吸引顾客回来。在封锁结束之后，政府可以通过放松地方税收和商业税率制度来帮助提高实体商店的竞争力。
But what is going to happen to the buildings? Commercial landlords already face the prospect of companies relinquishing their office leases as more employees work from home. Many pension funds are linked to the fortunes of property companies. Serious implications will arise very soon from this move away from bricks and mortar for retail and for working. Some innovative thinking is needed if city centres are not to turn into wastelands.
但是实体店所在的建筑将会发生什么呢？随着越来越多的员工在家办公，商业房东已经面临公司放弃办公室租约的前景。许多养老基金与房地产公司的命运息息相关。零售和办公离开实体建筑很快就会造成严重的影响。如果不想让城市中心变成荒地，就需要一些创新的想法。