Hamish Mansbridge, chief executive of Heal’s whose iconic store is on London’s Tottenham Court Road, said policies including the London mayor’s Ulez policy were actively stopping domestic tourists from coming into the UK capital. 

The ultra-low emissions zone currently covers the central London boroughs, and charges drivers whose vehicles are deemed too old and polluting. It is due to be expanded to all 32 London boroughs in August.

Mansbridge said West End stores were struggling to get shoppers in amid a wave of policy moves designed to put people off travelling into London.

Mr Mansbridge said without Heal’s, Tottenham Court Road “would not exist as the furniture street of London”. 

It comes amid wider questions over the future of the UK capital as a shopping hub, after luxury brands piled pressure on ministers last week to stage a U-turn on its axing of VAT-free shopping. Stores including Burberry have argued that shoppers are being pushed to visit other European luxury capitals including Paris and Milan due to the policymaking in Britain. 

Marks & Spencer chief Stuart Machin last week said London is “on life support” after economic turbulence hammered retailers in the city. 

Writing in the Evening Standard, Machin had said: “The High Street which is meant to be the jewel in London’s crown today is a national embarrassment, with a proliferation of tacky candy stores, antisocial behaviour and footfall remaining in the doldrums, 11pc down on pre-pandemic levels.”

Heals’ chief Mansbridge said Oxford Street, where many of the American candy stores have been opening, was a “challenge”. “It definitely needs some attention,” he said.

Westminster Council last August said it was investigating 30 US-style sweet shops which have taken prime locations on Oxford Circus in recent years, and are accused of business rates evasion.

Mansbridge said Tottenham Court Road’s position as a leading furniture shopping destination, where “all the big furniture companies want to be”, did help to keep bringing shoppers to its doors. 

However, he added that “there are fewer people without a doubt coming, and that’s partly because Oxford Street as a destination is less popular and therefore fewer people are coming around the corner to Tottenham Court Road”.