As shoppers move online, real-world stores are finding themselves with floor space to fill. Following the example of major players like Tesco, retailers are providing services to complement their existing offerings and enhance their core business.

In the UK, many shops look the same – but the most successful retailers understand that inspiration doesn't always come from within their immediate sector. Retail expert John Ryan explains why.

A one-stop shop for kitchen towels, gourmet sausages, a quick snack or fancy restaurant meal. Based in Clapton, East London, the EAT 17 bar and restaurant is open from 8am until late evening, serving customers everything they could need from breakfast 'til bed.

Retailers are looking to the leisure industry to encourage longer visits and higher spending – treating their stores as part of a broader brand experience. Urban Outfitters' in-store bar will let customers relax during long shopping trips.

In a high-pressure culture, traditional routines are dissolving as people look for services that fit around their schedule. Voodoo Ray’s fuses a premium pizzeria with cocktails, music and dancing until the early hours.

A cosy mishmash of vintage furniture, crafts and homeware alongside parties, festivals and workshops, London's Drink, Shop & Do presents a compelling retail concept to revive declining high streets.

No longer do we eagerly await the summer sale. Thanks to daily deals websites, online vouchers, and retailers’ desperation to sell, sell, sell, there's a sale nearly every day. But how does this permanent sale phenomenon affect the way people spend?

Glitzy shopping centres and department stores have sucked customers away from local markets, but after years of struggling, the quintessential British market is enjoying a renaissance. What’s attracting people back into the hustle and bustle of the traditional marketplace?