Only shoppers can save a nation of shopkeepers

Brixton, south London: ‘Take heart, John Harris. In the streets around Electric Avenue there is a market – busy, bustling, friendly and traffic-free. There is street food, street art, coffee shops and established local businesses.’ Photograph: Design Pics Inc/Alamy

I fear that John Harris is partially buying into Reform UK’s rhetoric about the decline of the high street (The UK’s high streets have reached a tipping point – and Reform will reap the benefits, 11 January).

The decline of small businesses in our high streets is largely the result of consumer choice. That’s why supermarkets exist. They sell goods more cheaply and have a range that would be equivalent to numerous shops. The majority of the population prefers to drive and do it all in one go, regardless of income.