The Queen of shops: Guru Mary's TV plan to save small boutiques

They've told us how to bring up our children; what we should eat and how to cook it; what to wear and what not to. Now meet Mary Portas, the latest TV celebrity guru, who'll be minding other people's business, in this case, somewhat literally.

Mary Queen of Shops is the latest offering. Starting this week on BBC2, fashion retail guru Ms Portas will try to save four independent boutiques struggling to survive the onslaught of juggernauts such as Topshop, with the huge clout of celebrity clothes-horse designers, including Kate Moss.

The show is built around Portas's personality, passion and her standing as a fashion store critic. Her expertise comes from a lifetime in fashion retail, working with high street names including Harvey Nichols and Topshop, before she founded the retail branding and communications agency Yellowdoor 10 years ago.

A long line of industry icons have diverted their talents on to the small screen. Sir John Harvey-Jones is considered a founding father, starring in the 1990 BBC series Troubleshooter. The charismatic former chairman of ICI gave his expert, no-nonsense advice to fledgling company bosses, sparing no blushes along the way. Since then, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and The Hotel Inspector have helped cement the format as a winning formula, and public appetite for business entertainment shows no sign of waning.

Portas's approach veers towards Harvey-Jones's rather than Ramsay's. As expected, there are tears and tantrums as the almost-beaten owners hear why customers shun their shops. They have six weeks to turn it around with advice from Portas and her celebrity contacts such as designer Betty Jackson and Grazia magazine. She revisits each shop a month later to see how business is faring.

Her passion for small business has its origins in two areas. Her mother died when Portas was just 16 and she became responsible for cooking for the family after school each evening. She shopped at her local butcher, whose help she has never forgotten. She said: "If I hadn't had that local butcher who knew my situation, I don't know what I would have done. This sense of community is key for me in all shopping."

She added that British shoppers are unique in their love of difference and individuality in fashion. Top British designers including Vivian Westwood and Alexander McQueen have traded on this independence of spirit and design. Small high-street boutiques help nurture this individuality and offer shoppers variety, she said. "If you take these shops out of the ordinary high street, we will lose the mix and end up bland. That would be a tragedy for Britishness."

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says more than 2,000 small independent shops go out of business every year. If this continues, they will become a thing of the past in 10 years.

Under pressure from powerful retail giants, Portas believes that our nation of shopkeepers has simply forgotten the basics: understand your customer, offer something unique and be visually smart. But most important, get back your passion and drive.

Portas does not yet have the high profile of Jamie Oliver or Ramsay, the programme maker Optomen, the independent production company responsible for Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Naked Chef, has high hopes for her.

"Mary has personality and expertise, like Ramsay, so we hope she has the same impact as a presenter and campaigner," said Pat Llewellyn, the managing director of Optomen.

A spokesperson for the FSB said: "Smaller businesses need to shape up, stop muddling along, and offer something different. They should make consumers aware about how much they plough into their local communities.

"If Mary can raise people's awareness that would be great."

The TV advisers

Food: Gordon Ramsay

Chef and restaurateur troubleshoots and teaches in his television shows

Property: Sarah Beeny

Self-trained in building and property development, she advises the novices

Children: Jo Frost

Supernanny helps families discipline their children and bring order to homes

Diet: Gillian McKeith

Nutritionist helps the overweight, constipated and unhappy on diet and exercise

'Mary Queen of Shops', 31 May, 9pm on BBC2

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