The Chinese phrase guang jie (‘window shopping’) is relatively new, along with the overall concept of shopping for leisure in China, which has grown with the country’s wealth. But the uptake of shopping in the internet era is stalling the growth of brick-and-mortar retail.

Has e-commerce killed the high street? Online sales are rising, but 70% of UK students still prefer brick-and-mortar stores. The issue is confused. In an attempt to crack it, we sat down with retail expert John Ryan to ask how and why stores can retain their custom.

Men's clothing store Hointer is out to revolutionise retail. Founded by a senior ex-Amazon employee, it combines the best of physical and digital in a customer-centric real-world experience that's as fast and efficient as buying online.

Do physical stores matter any more in China? When Topshop launched in China in 2014 it didn’t bother with bricks and mortar. Instead, taking cues from its Gen Y customers (who spend up to 30% of their day online), it partnered with an established fashion website. Is this non-traditional route proving a hit?