How To Save Your High Street

Forecasts of the demise of the high street are all too common, appearing every time yet another multiple brand collapses, or there is talk of the growth of online retailing. Well-known companies are struggling.  John Lewis has reported virtually zero profits; Waitrose and Debenhams are among retailers in trouble. Archie Newman, chairman of M&S has been quoted as saying that unless the company changes and develops “in decades to come there will be no M&S”. BHS has vanished while House of Fraser was sold at a knock down price. Thousands of retail staff are losing their jobs. Parcelforce Hero’s David Jinks has suggested that half of the UK’s shops will have disappeared by 2030.

Such opinions are nothing new. Take Ludlow for example. In 1995 the Independent reported, “The medieval town of Ludlow is slowly dying, victim of a decline in similar market towns across the country.” Sound familiar?

Move forward to 2018, and Ludlow is a thriving gourmet food destination, home to extremely successful bakers, delicatessen and food retailers as well as an annual Ludlow Marches Food & Drink festival. Ludlow is not unique in this situation as there are many examples of thriving market towns where footfall and customer spend are steadily increasing.

So why is this happening? Why are specialist retailers succeeding where national chains are failing? The answers lie in a complex mix of customer service, product sourcing, the provision of local produce, versatile trading concepts, local control and the creation of shopping areas that are not dominated by the national brands that have created a sense of uniformity within high streets, making them look the same wherever you happen to be in the country. It is also a matter of local initiatives, and local organizations taking control of the high street. 

“The connection between production and selling”
In Yorkshire, Malton has been become known as the ‘food capital’ of the county. Tom Naylor-Leyland of local landlowners Fitzwilliam Malton Estate explains how this came about. “10 years ago, we had empty shops, and our retail environment was challenged by out-of-town stores and internet shopping just like other market towns. Visiting Borough Market in London, I saw just how many products came from Malton and North Yorkshire. We held our first annual food festival in 2009 and 1,000 people came to see just 25 stalls. We now get around 30,000 people and 180 stalls.”

This was only the beginning. A monthly food market was set up attracting up to 4,000 people a month, followed by food tours, and a cooking school run by local food companies. Local food producers including a gelato company and macaron producer were encouraged to set up businesses in the centre of town, stressing the connection between production and selling.

Ludlow too introduced a food festival and encouraged local retailers. Tish Dockerty of the Chamber of Trade says, “The initiatives have come from the Chamber and the retailers, not the local authority. It is what we need and what we want for our town. We have developed a Ludlow guide listing all the independent shops trading here which is very popular with both locals and tourists.”

For such initiatives to succeed, time is needed. Tom comments, “It took three years before we began to see a change in the fortunes of Malton. It is all about getting people into a market town. Food is the hook to get people into Malton. Our big advantage is that the Fitzwilliam Estate owns the buildings in town so there is just one freeholder, which makes it easier to co-ordinate events and policies. We can take a longer-term approach. But it could be replicated elsewhere, just by focusing on what is available locally.”

“Consumers have lost faith in supermarkets and large suppliers over unethical sourcing and health scares”
National retailers including brands like John Lewis and Waitrose are frequently criticized for levels of customer service, with complaints constantly rising. Independent retailers providing excellent service and specialist advice can take advantage of this, as well as growing consumer worries about food provenance.  Claire Holland, manager of the Q Guild of Butchers says, “Consumers have lost faith in supermarkets and large suppliers over unethical sourcing and health scares. Independent butchers can step into the breach by offering products of higher quality with a trusted provenance. Younger generations are less comfortable about asking for produce by weight, so we are offering pre-packaged and pre-priced cuts of meat.”

Another reason why market towns are thriving is the ability of specialist retailers to diversify and respond quickly to trends. Some Q Guild butchers have added handmade charcuterie or ready meal dishes while others like Robinsons Butchers & Deli in Tettenhall have added a sit-in bistro. There is also genuine retail innovation which adds interest and excitement to the consumer high street experience. Tofurei in Pottergate within the Norwich Lanes area is the first shop-based micro soya dairy in the UK. It quickly became popular, resulting in a move into bigger premises so to offer workshops and a dining facility.

“Speciality food retailers can thrive with initiatives, such as local events and tasting sessions to drive footfall. Becoming part of the local community is key, successful speciality retailers know their regular customers by name and provide a personalized service that larger food chains struggle to replicate,” says Gavin Dow, managing director of Coffee Central.

Far from being a threat, evidence is emerging that online retailing is being used to help high streets thrive, especially in market towns. Saltaire-based Jackie Mulligan set up the Shopappy App a couple of years ago as a way of encouraging people to shop locally. She explains, “I realised how enjoyable it was to shop locally where you could speak to shopkeepers about the products because they had chosen them and brought them. I noticed that in the local shops, residents talked to each other. People cared about shopping local, but when they got home from work, the shops were closed and they could not use them.”

Her solution was to create Shoppappy. It is now spreading steadily throughout the UK, with more and more small towns joining the network. Most recently, Great Yarmouth market became a member. Users simply order what they need, pay then collect their purchases from the local collection point, usually a pub or late-opening store. It opens up the online market to smaller specialist retailers including market traders, who might not have a website of their own. It has proved a winning combination. Maria Cotton, group leader for markets and town centres in Barnsley comments, “Shoppappy is well used by local people. There are regular transactions, and it encourages people to use local shops. Footfall has increased and it has kept the market visible while we were undergoing renovation.”

Jackie adds, “Shopappy encourages people to become familiar with local shops and are more inclined to visit the high street stores and browse. Retailers can collaborate and work together for the benefit of the high street. For example, one retailer, Christopher Taylor creates special packages such as the ‘In the Dog House Dinner Date’. This contains everything you need to deal with an awkward situation. It is convenient and high quality. He will collaborate with other local retailers to add in a bottle of Prosecco, a bunch of flowers or a large steak from the near by butchers.”

“Identifying local needs and having a local identity are the key to success”
Vibrant markets also play a crucial role in creating thriving high streets. In Norwich the market has changed from providing cheap downmarket goods to what is claimed to be the largest weekday food market in the UK. There has been an explosion in the number of food stalls owned by local people selling everything from local cheese, speciality breads, teas and coffees, to locally made porridge and ethnic food from many European countries. 

In Altrincham, Cheshire the town centre has been revitalized by the introduction of a street food market.  Retail specialist Professor Cathy Parker of Manchester Metropolitan Museum explains, “People stopped coming to Altrincham high street when the Trafford Centre opened. The local authority took a long hard look at what was happened and knew it virtually impossible to compete, so sought a different answer. It decided to take it back to being a market town, offering services that the public wanted. The hospital was relocated to the centre of town and public transport improved to bring people into town. Nick Johnson and his wife Jenny took the market hall and turned it round by creating a centre for street food, with market traders in adjacent areas. There are lots of specialist food retailers including one stall holder who sells only Portuguese food.  Footfall has increased.”

Such a solution is not always suitable for other market towns and high streets. Identifying local needs and having a local identity are the key to success. Cathy points out, “it is not a matter of one size fits all. What is important is that organizations discover what is right for their locality. High street multiples are closing because they are providing the local links or providing what people want.  A superstore may have a shelf of local products, but it does not make them a local trader. People increasingly want a connection to a local area, with retailers who are investing in the area and are part of it.”

Ultimately, it comes down to customer service and providing what the customer wants, when they want it – which is where specialist retailers can really make an impact encouraging footfall and creating a vibrant, lively high street. Encouraging regular visits through special events like food tastings, pop up markets, talks can make a difference. Initiatives like Brighton’s Seafood Festival and Norwich City of Ale prove that the high street is not definitely not dead!