When a coffee shop replaces a vacant betting store, it’s usually regarded as good for a neighbourhood – but this ‘retail gentrification’ can alienate communities. Canvas8 spoke to Phil Hubbard, a professor of urban studies, about how brands can hit the high street without treading on toes.

In August 2017, artist Miranda July opened a charity shop with a difference. While it sold the wares one might expect, it was based in prestigious department store Selfridges and run by four faith-based UK charities. How can this pop-up inspire other charities and brick-and-mortar retailers?

From the UK to Japan, people are proudly heading to cheap and cheerful fixed price retailers to buy everything from household essentials to party gifts and cosmetics. Why is this shopping experience so attractive? And can these stores stand the test of time in a competitive retail environment?

It's a hard time for brick-and-mortar stores as online shopping becomes the norm for many people. But thrift shops in the US are thriving, reinventing themselves by embracing a hybrid business model that's centred around social media storytelling and taking their show on the road.