Mary Portas takes the retail pulse of the nation to find out how the biggest showbiz, political and weather events of 2018 sent us racing off to spend our hard-earned cash. In this one hour special, Mary discovers what the Beast from the East, the World Cup, and a female Doctor Who meant for our shopping baskets, whether Kate or Meghan had the biggest influence on our fashion buys, and how the stars of Love Island and Made in Chelsea sold us everything from crochet dresses to breaded jackfruit. It has been a tumultuous year for the high street and Mary gets the inside track from some of the country's most popular brands. From John Lewis to H&M, Superdrug to Argos, McDonalds to Deliveroo, she learns about what went big and what was binned in 2018. There is a look at how high street fashion brands are trying to go ethical. She discovers why this year we got tough on plastic straws and finds out what happens when a major high street store shuts for good.