Why we've been scrutinising the high street on the business desk this week

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This week in business news, the focus was very much on the the problems of the UK high street.

Marks & Spencer’s results, published on Wednesday, showed a rise in profit, but the retailer’s clothing arm continued its downward trajectory and, more worryingly, food sales dipped too.

The struggles facing this much-loved British brand have been well-documented, and at this point it’s difficult to say how things will end up. Earlier this year the company took drastic steps towards turning things around, with 100 store closures announced, and chief executive Steve Rowe said the strategy was starting to take effect. Indeed, shares initially went up on Wednesday.