High Street Shops Research Articles

Reflections on the Taste the Archive Event - Great Fish and Chips Exhibition at the University of Kent

The original exhibition – The Great British Fish and Chips – was commissioned by Counterpoint Arts in 2021 as part of National Refugee Week, in partnership with Canterbury Cathedral and Turner Contemporary, Margate. Reportage artist Olivier Kugler, and writer Andrew Humphreys, interviewed and illustrated the everyday stories and experiences of migration connected to Kent’s most celebrated high street food; fish and chips. They explored the history of fish and chips, Britain’s national dish through interviewing and learning the stories of shop owners, staff and customers at Fish & Chips shops across Kent, and discovered that it could not exist without global trade and migration. Migration and displacement are central themes. Fish & chips can be traced back to Huguenot and Jewish arrivals in the UK and people from all over the world continue to be central to the farming and fishing industries and the high street shops. The hosting of this travelling exhibition also includes a display of items from the University of Kent Special Collections & Archives.

Turning Shops into Housing? Planning Deregulation, Design Quality and the Future of the High Street in England

The changing fortunes of the high street have been a subject of interest for some time, with a view that trends such as the shift to more online retailing as well as changing pa erns of work, mobility and prosperity may impact the viability and vacancy of retail units. These pa erns and concerns have been exacerbated by recent governance reforms in England. At the same time as a global pandemic has reduced footfall and threatened many shops with closure, the government has been deregulating the urban planning system so that local governments have less ability to exert control over the use and design of buildings. This has been seen particularly in the form of what is known as 'permi ed development', which allows commercial buildings to be converted to residential use without needing planning permission and which was increased in scope in August 2021. This deregulation has been driven by a neoliberal, market utopian understanding of the so-called 'housing crisis' in England. An existing trend of converting high street shops to residential use is thus likely to accelerate. In this article, we examine the drivers for adaptive reuse of commercial buildings as residential use and the deregulatory governance context currently surrounding this in England. We then consider data on the rate of conversion and provide case studies of diff erent quality conversions of shops to dwellings, arguing that there is insufficient a ention being paid to design quality, particularly in terms of the quality of housing being provided for residents of these conversions. This might mean that conversions threaten the wellbeing of residents – consigning them to 'future slums' (BBBBC, 2020) – and also the vibrancy of high streets and the broader quality of the public realm. We argue that incremental conversions, not bound within any broader planning, of high street functions (or what it means to lose active frontages, without compensation) are a threat to overall place quality. We therefore propose design principles and make policy recommendations that seek to achieve the eff ective governance of commercial to residential conversion whilst sustaining that place quality.

Staff awareness of the use of cannabidiol (CBD): a trust-wide survey study in the UK

IntroductionCannabidiol (CBD) is now a legal substance in Europe and is available in ‘high street shops’, usually as CBD oil. However, in the United Kingdom (UK), there is no clear consensus among healthcare professionals and organisations over how to manage CBD use in their patients. This is an important issue as CBD is a constituent of ‘medicinal and recreational cannabis’ and is gaining support in the scientific literature and lay media for use in physical and mental health problems. Given the aforementioned, this study is an exploration of healthcare professionals’ beliefs and attitudes with regard to CBD.MethodsIn July 2018, we sent requests by email to approximately 2000 clinical staff (including 319 physicians) at a mental health trust in South West London to answer 8 questions in a single survey using Surveyplanet.com, about their beliefs regarding CBD. There was no specific method of choosing the staff, and the aim was to get the email request sent to as many staff as possible on each service line. We did an analysis to see how the attitudes and beliefs of different staff member groups compared. We also gave them space to offer free text responses to illustrate their ideas and concerns. We used chi-squared tests for comparison across groups and used odds ratio for pairwise group comparisons.ResultsOne hundred ninety surveys were received in response, and of these, 180 were included in the final sample. The physician response rate was 17.2% (55/319); the response rate for non-physicians could not be estimated as their total number was not known at outset. 32.2% of the responders had the right to prescribe (58/180) and 52.8% had an experience of working in addiction services (95/180).We found that staff members who can prescribe were 1.99 times as likely to believe CBD has potential therapeutic properties compared to those who do not (OR = 1.99, CI = 1.03, 3.82; p = 0.038) and 2.94 times less likely to think it had dangerous side effects (OR = 0.34, CI = 0.15, 0.75; p = 0.006). Prescribing healthcare professionals were 2.3 times as likely to believe that CBD reduces the likelihood of psychosis (OR = 2.30, CI = 1.10, 4.78; p = 0.024). However, prescribing healthcare professionals with the ability to prescribe were 2.12 times as likely to believe that CBD should be prescription only (OR = 2.12, CI = 1.12, 4.01; p = 0.02). Individuals experienced in addiction services were 2.22 times as likely to be associated with a belief that CBD has therapeutic properties (OR = 2.22, CI = 1.22, 4.04; p = 0.009). Staff in general reported a lack of knowledge about CBD in their free text responses.ConclusionsWith almost 95% of prescribers being physicians, they appear to demonstrate awareness of potential therapeutic benefit, reduced likelihood of psychosis and seeming lack of dangerous side effects with CBD. However, their higher stringency about the need for prescription implies an attitude of caution. There was also a suggestion that biases about cannabis were influencing responses to questions as well. The external validity of this study could be diminished by sampling bias and limitation to a single mental health trust. Nonetheless, some of the results drew a reasonable comparison with similar studies.

Closures, clusters and deprivation: the geographies of high street betting shops in the early twenty-first century

ABSTRACT Betting shops have been a familiar, if not universally loved, feature on the High Street in all towns and cities throughout the UK for some 60 years. In recent years, concerns have been expressed about the undesirability of their presence in the urban retail environment. This article analyses the geographies of betting shops in six urban areas in the UK. It explores the basic geographies of betting shops in these towns and cities and specifically the charges that they show a tendency to form clusters and that they are disproportionately found in areas of high deprivation. It finds some evidence to support these claims, but recognises some important qualifications. This analysis is set within the recent sharp decline of betting shop numbers in the UK. The policy implications of these findings are drawn out.

A Comparison of the Composition of Selected Commercial Sandalwood Oils with the International Standard.

Sandalwood oils are highly desired but expensive, and hence many counterfeit oils are sold in high street shops. The study aimed to determine the content of oils sold under the name sandalwood oil and then compare their chromatographic profile and α- and β santalol content with the requirements of ISO 3518:2002. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry analysis found that none of the six tested “sandalwood” oils met the ISO standard, especially in terms of α-santalol content. Only one sample was found to contain both α- and β-santalol, characteristic of Santalum album. In three samples, valerianol, elemol, eudesmol isomers, and caryophyllene dominated, indicating the presence of Amyris balsamifera oil. Another two oil samples were found to be synthetic mixtures: benzyl benzoate predominating in one, and synthetic alcohols, such as javanol, polysantol and ebanol, in the other. The product label only gave correct information in three cases: one sample containing Santalum album oil and two samples containing Amyris balsamifera oil. The synthetic samples described as 100% natural essential oil from sandalwood are particularly dangerous and misleading to the consumer. Moreover, the toxicological properties of javanol, polysantol and ebanol, for example, are unknown.

Medium-sized cities in decline in France: between urban shrinkage and city centre devitalisation

Since the end of the 2000s, the question of the decline of French medium-sized towns has become central within the scientific and public debate. More specifically, two processes are underlined: the devitalisation of city centres on the one hand, and urban shrinkage on the other hand. The devitalisation of city centres has been studied in several institutional reports. It is characterised by high rates of vacant housing and high street shops vacancies, a fall in visits to the city centre, an impoverishment of residents and population losses. In geography, urban studies and planning, the dynamics of urban shrinkage have been discussed since the 1990s. They comprise a multidimensional urban crisis, triggered and characterised by job and population losses. This paper attempts to explore the relationships between these processes by underlining their similarities and differences with data analysis and multivariate clustering methods. By comparing medium-sized cities with small and large cities, the specificities of urban decline in medium-sized cities are explored. It appears that cities are not homogeneously affected by urban decline. More particularly, a large number of weakened medium-sized cities display a distinctive feature: markers of decline are concentrated in their urban core.

Training to be me

It’s 2013, Buzzcut Festival, Glasgow. I am standing in a derelict high street shop with boarded up windows. An audience watches quietly as I open a box and place my Nan’s skirt and cardigan on the ...

Legislation targeting head shops selling new psychoactive substances and changes in drug-related psychiatric admissions: A national database study.

New psychoactive substance (NPS) use can negatively impact mental health and may result in drug-related psychiatric admissions (DRPA). Irish youth reported very high rates of NPS use by international standards, the most common being synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones. This occurred in the context of a rapid expansion in specialist high street shops, called head shops, selling NPS in 2010. Government responded to public protests about head shops by enacting legislation in May and August 2010 to end this trade. Many academics argued that such actions were futile. We sought to determine if changes in head shop activity coincided with changes in DRPA. The national database on psychiatric admissions was examined focusing on young adults admitted from 2008 to 2012. Joinpoint regression analysis was utilized to examine for the presence of trend changes in DRPA. The monthly rate of DRPA was higher in 2010 than 2008, 2009 and 2012 (P < 0.01). Joinpoint regression analysis identified a significant downward trend change which occurred in July 2010 (95% CI Feb 2010 to April 2011). Young males aged 18 to 24 years showed evidence of greatest change, DRPA falling by 1.4% per month (95% CI 0.7 to 3.7% decline) from May 2010 to December 2012. Cessation of NPS sale by head shops coincided with a reversal in the upward trend of DRPA, this change being most evident in young men. While correlation does not imply causation, legislation which successfully targets the sale of NPS may result in reduced drug-related mental disorders.

Acute kidney injury and critical limb ischaemia associated with the use of the so called "legal high" 3-fluorophenmetrazine.

Until the law in the United Kingdom (UK) changed in May 2016 so called "legal highs" or "new psychoactive substances" were freely available in high street shops across the UK. Following prohibition these drugs are still easily purchased illegally via the internet. We report a case of a patient who self-administered 3-fluorophenmetrazine intravenously with catastrophic consequences. Adverse effects were almost immediate with symptoms of malaise and tachycardia. Two days post administration he was transferred to the intensive therapy unit with acute kidney injury and irreversible four limb ischaemia. He required a period of renal replacement therapy and bilateral lower limb amputation. This case highlights the fact that new psychoactive substances have many unintended adverse effect which have not been previously described. Multiple routes of administration are used by people taking these agents including intravenously. Medical practitioners should always consider ingestion of new psychoactive substances in the differential diagnosis of acutely ill patients.

A case study of the investment yields of high street banks

Purpose– Sale-and-leaseback has become an increasingly common approach during the last two decades in the investment of high street banks (banking-halls) in the UK. One measure commonly used in making property investment decisions is the all risks yield (ARY) which is associated with the level of rental income. Investors and their advisors need to know which factors are likely to result in the highest ARY when assembling investment portfolios of such properties. The purpose of this paper is to identify those yield influences.Design/methodology/approach– A qualitative multiple-case study was adopted. A literature review generated a hypothesis which was tested by a qualitative study, based upon semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire, to establish the influencing factors. Expert interviews were held with the heads of those three major auction-houses dealing with auctions of all retail bank premises in the Great Britain market, whilst the questionnaire survey involved investment professionals from within the auction-houses.Findings– The study confirmed that the four factors influencing yields and investors’ decision-making when purchasing retail banking premises were tenant banking company (brand names), regional location (north and south super-regions), lot size (hammer price), and tenure (freehold or leasehold).Research limitations/implications– This investigation focuses on Great Britain’s geographical and political area which includes England, Scotland and Wales, but excludes Northern Ireland. This research focuses on banking-halls as a sub-class of retail property investment. The findings form a baseline upon which further research can be conducted on other sub-types of retail property such as high street shops and retail parks. The results will also underpin the development of a quantitative yield predictive model based on regression analysis.Practical implications– To maximize the returns on property investments, investors and their professional advisors can use those factors having the greatest influence on yields to make informed investment decisions for the building of property portfolios.Originality/value– As a sub-sector, bank premises do not necessarily correlate to the generic retail sector. This research consolidates the broad systematic drivers of retail yields into specific factors influencing the ARY of banking-halls. The findings provide better understanding of an active but sparsely analysed sub-market of banking hall investments, and by so-doing help investors to maximize their investment returns.

Postnatal care, not vouchers, will increase breastfeeding rates

British Journal of Midwifery • December 2014 • Vol 22, No 12 It is well known that in the UK, despite initial breastfeeding rates being relatively high, maintining these rates are a problem; the amount of women continuing to exclusively breastfeed past 6 weeks is dramatically low. In 2010, the Infant Feeding Survey found that the initial breastfeeding rate was highest in England at 83% (compared with 74% in Scotland, 71% in Wales, and 64% in Northern Ireland). However, exclusive breastfeeding at 6 weeks dropped to 24% in England and 22% in Scotland, compared to 17% in Wales and 13% in Northern Ireland (Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), 2012). There is a strong correlation between age, socioeconomic status and breastfeeding, with younger women in deprived areas being less likely to breastfeed than women in areas of low deprivation (HSCIC, 2012; Relton et al, 2014). The benefits of breastfeeding to the health and wellbeing of the mother and baby and to the NHS are well established; therefore, it is important that midwives and health professionals alike find ways to help increase these figures. A study published in the Lancet this week, detailed a controversial scheme in which financial support was offered to new mothers to incentivise them to breastfeed (Relton et al, 2014). The support, in the form of vouchers for supermarkets and high street shops, was offered to new mothers in a few areas in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, which have low 6–8 week breastfeeding rates. It was hoped that offering vouchers to mothers will increase the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding (Relton et al, 2014). Preliminary results were encouraging and found that of the 108 women eligible for the scheme, 58 (53·7%) joined. Of which, 48 (44·4%) claimed 2-day vouchers, 45 (41·7%) claimed 10-day vouchers, and 37 (34·3%) claimed 6–8 week vouchers. Data for 3and 6-month rates are still accruing. Both the health professionals and the mothers participating in the scheme were very satisfied (Relton et al, 2014). While the preliminary results were positive, it is unclear whether this is due to the financial incentives or the additional support the women received. One of the statements that came out of an interview with a mother who participated in the scheme was: ‘It’s that support network, not the money, that spurs you on to continue’ (Dreaper, 2014). With midwifery services so underfunded and under-resourced, surely the money would be better spent on postnatal care so midwives can dedicate more of their time providing these essential ‘support networks’. There is evidence to suggest that support from a skilled health professional can have a positive effect on women’s initiation, duration and experiences of breastfeeding (Spilby et al, 2009). From personal experience, I know how invaluable one-on-one breastfeeding support is—I was one of the lucky ones, I left hospital (armed with some scribbled notes from my midwife that I could refer to when I got home—I still have them) having had fantastic care and support with breastfeeding and I went on to feed my little girl exclusively for 5 months. However, not everyone is so fortunate. The Royal College of Midwives is concerned that due to staff shortages women may not be getting the postnatal support they need from midwives while they establish breastfeeding in the early days after birth. So maybe we need to be more innovative in our approach to breastfeeding support and remember it’s the little things that make the difference to mothers. BJM

Are financial incentives for breastfeeding feasible in the UK? A mixed methods field study

BackgroundThe UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates (duration and exclusivity) in the world. Moreover, breastfeeding is strongly socially patterned, with young women in areas of high deprivation being less likely to breastfeed than women in areas of low deprivation. This study tested the feasibility of a financial incentive intervention to increase breastfeeding in areas with 6–8 week breastfeeding rates of 40% or less. MethodsThe intervention was the offer of a structured financial incentive scheme to women with babies aged up to 6 months old. If women were breastfeeding their baby, they could claim vouchers, at five different timepoints—ie, when their baby reached 2 days, 10 days, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months old. Breastfeeding was verified by signed statements from the mother and health-care professional. Vouchers were for supermarkets and high street shops, to the value of £40, up to a maximum of £200. Starting in November, 2013, the scheme was offered to women with babies born during a 16-week period resident in three neighbourhoods in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, UK, all of whom had historically persistent low 6–8 week breastfeeding rates, ranging from 21% to 29%. The feasibility (acceptability and deliverability) of the incentive scheme and the study design to key stakeholder groups was assessed with quantitative and qualitative methods, in advance of undertaking a full randomised controlled trial. 36 health-care providers and 18 women gave semi-structured interviews. FindingsRelevant approvals for the study were obtained. Women learnt about the scheme from their midwife or the media (print, radio, social media), or both. Of a total of 108 women eligible for the scheme, 58 (53·7%) joined the scheme, 48 (44·4%) claimed 2-day vouchers, 45 (41·7%) claimed 10-day vouchers, and 37 (34·3%) claimed 6–8 week vouchers. 3-month and 6-month data are still accruing. 53 health-care providers cosigned claim forms. Satisfaction with the scheme (including the method used to verify breastfeeding) was high among both mothers and health-care staff participating in the scheme. InterpretationThe scheme was both deliverable and acceptable to mothers and health-care staff in this field study. The scheme was extended (and will continue until at least December, 2014) in all three areas. A randomised controlled trial testing the effectiveness of the scheme is now planned. FundingMedical Research Council National Prevention Research Initiative (MR/J000434/1).

IMPROVING PERFORMANCE? DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION PRACTICE IN ULTRAMARATHON RUNNERS

BackgroundUltramarathon races have gained popularity in recent years and test the limits of human endurance. Dietary supplements are widely used, and athletes may attempt to gain a performance advantage through...

Determination of N,N-dimethyltryptamine in beverages consumed in religious practices by headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography ion trap mass spectrometry

A novel analytical approach combining solid-phase microextraction (SPME)/gas chromatography ion trap mass spectrometry (GC-IT-MS) was developed for the detection and quantification N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a powerful psychoactive indole alkaloid present in a variety of South American indigenous beverages, such as ayahuasca and vinho da jurema. These particular plant products, often used within a religious context, are increasingly consumed throughout the world following an expansion of religious groups and the availability of plant material over the Internet and high street shops. The method described in the present study included the use of SPME in headspace mode combined GC-IT-MS and included the optimization of the SPME procedure using multivariate techniques. The method was performed with a polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fiber in headspace mode (70min at 60°C) which resulted in good precision (RSD<8.6%) and accuracy values (71–109%). Detection and quantification limits obtained for DMT were 0.78 and 9.5mgL−1, respectively and good linearity (1.56–300mgL−1, r2=0.9975) was also observed. In addition, the proposed method showed good robustness and allowed for the minimization of sample manipulation. Five jurema beverage samples were prepared in the laboratory in order to study the impact of temperature, pH and ethanol on the ability to extract DMT into solution. The developed method was then applied to the analysis of twelve real ayahuasca and vinho da jurema samples, obtained from Brazilian religious groups, which revealed DMT concentration levels between 0.10 and 1.81gL−1.

Spare a thought for your patients

October is well known as breast cancer awareness month. For nurses working in the specialty it is a time when energy goes into planning events, building displays and fundraising. Even high street shops raise money through donations on sales of specially designed products. However, some patients living with a breast cancer diagnosis may dread these constant reminders. It is important that nurses consider those for whom pink ribbons and balloons may trigger unpleasant memories.

Analysis of NRG ‘legal highs’ in the UK: identification and formation of novel cathinones

A large number of cathinone derivatives have shown a wide range of bioactive properties, attracting great interest from communities associated with pharmaceutical research. Some of these derivatives have gained popularity as so-called recreational 'legal highs' due to their availability on the Internet and high street shops. A previous study described the qualitative analysis of 24 'legal high' Energy-1 (NRG-1) and NRG-2 products obtained from 18 websites following the ban on mephedrone and derivatives in April 2010. The majority of these products contained a mixture of cathinones just carrying a new label. Here, three additional cathinone products have been detected; two from an NRG-1 sample and one from an NRG-3 sample. This report describes their identification. NRG-1 sample 1 consisted of a mixture of 4 cathinones namely 4-fluoromethcathinone (1), 1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-(methylamino)pentan-1-one (pentylone, 2), 3,4-methylenedioxy-α-pyrrolidinobutyrophenone (MDPBP, 3) and 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV, 4). The sample labelled as NRG-3 (mislabelled with the chemical structure of mephedrone) consisted of a mixture of 4-methyl-α-pyrrolidinopropiophenone (MPPP, 5) and (2), whereas the remaining NRG-1 sample 2 (also mislabelled with the chemical structure of mephedrone) consisted of a mixture of (2) and (3). Qualitative analyses were carried out by GC-(EI/CI)-MS, NMR spectroscopy and confirmation by preparation of standards. The preparation of brominated precursors carrying the 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl nucleus revealed extensive α,α-dibromination: the mass spectral and NMR data of these intermediates are also presented and discussed.

The rise and fall of the high street shop as an investment class

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the reasons for the rise and fall of the UK high street shop as an investment class for financial institutions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper begins by tracing the scale of investment by financial institutions in shops and the reasons for their historic popularity. The next sections review the changes in retailing and the consequences in terms of the current retail offering. The consequences and implications for retail investment are then considered in terms of institutional portfolios and (relative) investment yields. The research is based on a review of a range of secondary sources and an analysis of the Investment Property Databank database.FindingsThe traditional UK high street as an investment class has been challenged by the decentralisation of retailing and new retail forms over the last 30 years. While the city centre is still the principal location for comparison retailing, the consequence has been a restructuring of institutional investment portfolios and of relative yields. The number of high street shops in investment portfolios has halved since the mid‐1990s. There are threats from online shopping and the recent recession has further queried the original arguments for investing in high street shops. However, the driving force for the decline of investment in high street shops by financial institutions appears to be the short‐termism.Originality/valueThe paper reviews the changing fundamentals of retail property investment to explain the decline of the high street shop as a property investment class.

Novel and emerging recreational drugs

The overall annual prevalence rate of recreational drug use in Europe is up to 10%, with much greater use in those attending nightclubs. National and International legislation controls classical recreational drugs. In addition to classical recreational drugs covered by legislation, novel drugs continue to emerge (e.g. Piperazines, substituted cathinones,’ “Spice”) as well as recreational use of misappropriated prescription medicines (e.g. glaucine, pregabalin). In most countries, where drug control legislation is non-generic, these drugs are initially not controlled. For this reason, these novel drugs are often referred to as “legal highs”. Legislation lags behind initial use of these drugs and there is often a delay of 2–3 years between the initial reports of use and toxicity before they are controlled. The piperazines were controlled at European level in 2009 but currently the substituted cathinones remain legal. Recent surveys indicate that up to 40% of those attending nightclubs have used the substituted cathinone mephedrone, with one-third using it in the last month. Because these drugs are legally available their route of supply is different with most users sourcing them over the Internet or in high street head shops. Data will be presented on the analysis of drugs that we have purchased from the internet and from drug amnesty bins. There are increasing reports of toxicity associated with the use of these compounds; generally the pattern of toxicity seen is similar to classical recreational drugs with sympathomimetic and/or hallucinogenic features. Data will be presented on cases that we have seen and published from our unit. We feel that there is a need for a more systematic approach to identify novel agents and the overall epidemiology of recreational drug toxicity to inform both the clinical management of individuals with recreational drug toxicity and legislative agencies to ensure that drug classification systems are appropriate.

Will small technologies continue to shape the future?

The future will be shaped by new products, new processes and new systems. These will result from continuing innovation and the exploitation of knowledge. They will radically change our way of life and fuel the Global Economy. What contribution will small technologies, that embrace micro-nanotechnologies, make to these changes? Technological developments in the last century established a semiconductor industry that progressed from the transistor to the integrated circuit, with microchips becoming sophisticated, smart and cheap to manufacture. They enabled the rapid growth of the computer and IT industries that have produced the products that can be bought in high street shops. The convergence of small technologies with computer, information and biotechnologies technologies will drive this new wave forward in unpredictable directions as it generates new products and systems that will change work patterns and lifestyles. Decision-makers in Government and industry will need to be more cognizant of such changes if they are to make informed investment decisions.

Development of a Lightweight Box Structure for Static Structural Experiments

It is important to expose university students to practical experiments. In this way, they will appreciate more the subjects which they learn. This paper reports on the development of a lightweight box structure with which students can perform static structural experiments. The box simulates the wing box of a two-spar wing structure, and is intended for aeronautics engineering undergraduate students in a practical laboratory. All materials were purchased from high-street shops. To determine the characteristics of the sheet metal aluminum alloy that was purchased, tensile tests were performed. A preliminary analysis was performed to obtain the stress of the box for a certain loading. Further analysis was conducted using the finite element method. Manufacturing of the box consisted of conventional sheet metal cutting, metal forming, and sheet metal assembly. The box was then tested to obtain the stress due to static tip loading. The stresses were obtained through strain gauge readings. The readings were then compared with the theoretical and finite element analysis. The data from these analyses were then used as part of the practical laboratory.