A spate of business closures and shuttered shops on Britain's High Streets are exposing a widening economic divide in the UK amid rising living costs and shifting shopping habits. The state of the country's economy was in the spotlight as the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves unveiled the 2025 Budget on Wednesday, outlining a series of public spending and taxation measures aimed at breaking Britain out of its cycle of decline. For many residents, the economic downturn is all too visible in their local communities, especially in the main shopping areas, where a number of storefronts are now boarded up or lying dormant as businesses struggle to stay afloat. On Uxbridge Road in West London, local resident Andrew Williams says he has petitioned his local authority to provide more support and improve the look of the area. "It needs to be cleaned up. We need a bit more variety of shops on the road. I wouldn't mind seeing a coffee shop, a few more coffee shops and cafes in the area," he told the China Global Television Network (CGTN). Despite concerns over the impact of changing shopping habits, especially as more people move online to make their purchases, industry insiders note that the majority of goods are still being bought in person, meaning more should be done to assist smaller business owners. "We don't deny that the lack of investment over the years, a lack of support for small businesses on those high streets. Yet despite all that, two-thirds of all products are still bought in shops on the High Street," said Andrew Goodacre, CEO of the British Independent Retailers Association. According to a report from the 'Center for Cities' think tank, the link between income and High Street closures is clear -- for every one-percent increase in local income, High Streets see a 0.8 percent drop in vacancy levels. This can also be seen in the regional difference in vacancy rates. In London, 7.4 percent of High Street shops have closed down. However, in lower income areas like the cities of Bradford, Stoke and Wigan, the number is 16 percent. In the last quarter, the measure of confidence in the UK economy fell by nearly 13 percentage points to a two-year low, dampened by persistent high inflation and economic uncertainty. The state of a British High Street to some extent indicates the health of the country's economy as a whole. Across the UK, however, there is a tale of two halves, with some high streets doing poorly, while others are flourishing. Analysts say this sums up the alarming level of inequality across the British economy. "The variability in the state of High Streets across the country really reflects the income differential in the UK right now. It really is, to a certain extent, a two tier economy," said Laurie Laird, a financial journalist. "You have a lot of people making tons and tons of money, and the rest of the economy is really struggling. So I think the the UK high street reflects the UK's increasing two tier economy," she added. This juxtaposition is also reflected on the streets of Oxford too, where the High Street relies heavily on tourism, including large numbers of visitors from China. But even here, people are feeling the pinch. "Yes, the cost of living increased in general. So I've got many feedback from my colleagues, friends. They were quite also surprised about the cost of living," said a resident. "Generally, I don't spend anymore. I don't think I'm any worse off than I was before," another resident added. SHOTLIST: London, UK - Recent 1. Various of business street, traffic, pedestrians, closed shops; 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrew Williams, local resident (starting with shot 1/ending with shot 3): "It needs to be cleaned up. We need a bit more variety of shops on the road. I wouldn't mind seeing a coffee shop, a few more coffee shops and cafes in the area."; 3. Various of closed shops, traffic, pedestrians; 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrew Goodacre, CEO, British Independent Retailers Association (starting with shot 3/partially overlaid with shot 5): "We don't deny that, the lack of investment over the years, a lack of support for small businesses on those high streets. Yet despite all that, two-thirds of all products are still bought in shops on the High Street."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 5. Closed shops, pedestrians; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 6. Graphic showing link between income, High Street closures; 7. Graphic showing regional difference in vacancy rates of High Streets; 8. Graphic showing decline in UK consumer confidence in third quarter of 2025; 9. Street, shops, vehicles, pedestrians; 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Laurie Laird, financial journalist (starting with shot 9/ending with shot 11): "The variability in the state of High Streets across the country really reflects the income differential in the UK right now. It really is, to a certain extent, a two tier economy. Finance is such a big part of this place, [as is] law. So you have a lot of people making tons and tons of money, and the rest of the economy is really struggling. So I think the UK high street reflects the UK's increasing two tier economy."; 11. Various of shops, businesses, traffic; Oxford, UK - Recent 12. Various of High Street, pedestrians; 13. SOUNDBITE (English) local resident (name not given) (starting with shot 12): "Yes, the cost of living increased in general. So I've got many feedback from my colleagues, friends. So they were quite also surprised about the cost of living."; 14. SOUNDBITE (English) local resident (name not given): "Generally, I don't spend anymore. I don't think I'm any worse off than I was before."; 15. Business street, pedestrians. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]