The recent Portas review does point out some interesting statistics about the state of the nation’s High Streets and our shopping habits. Such as by 2015 we’ll be spending over £40 billion a year via the internet and mobile devices. There is also a number of case studies in this review such as car parking charges in Swindon where they changed the pricing structure to encourage a four hour stay and the feedback was positive from local retailers after seeing an increase in custom. Another case study is on The Co-operative, where they reinvested in the local communities in which they operate to address social issues which totalled £12.4 million in 2010.
A big concern of these out-of-town supermarkets (notably the Big 4 – Asda; Tesco; Morrisons and Sainsburys) is although they may provide local employment, money is taken out of the local economy. Where one nearby shop will close (possibly as a direct result of a new supermarket development), footfall decreases, weakening the performance of other nearby shores which only encourages further closures – giving raise to these ‘ghost’ high streets.
You may have heard the term ‘ghost towns’ being banded around by the media but now there is a fear of ‘clone towns’, where big mobile phone and convenience chains have moved in with identikit stores after local independents and specialists have gone. High streets lose their unique identities and unique trusted specialist contacts. Between 1997 and 2002, independent stores closed at a rate of 1 per day and specialists closed at a rate of 50 a week, according to Wiki. Are we any longer a nation of shopkeepers?
Times have changed and many a town centre has stood still through a lack of investment, with parts of a town or city centre now positively hostile to cars through lack of parking and affordable parking at that. Plus, getting into the centres in the first place is becoming a chore coupled with the town centre shopping malls themselves are on the most part now very dated. Who indeed is going to bother?
People want convenience (over placement), we now would rather get almost everything in one place (or at a virtual location), in one visit. The car is still fundamental for this, one fast bulk shop with ample free parking. Town and city centres don’t offer this any longer although there is good examples of park and ride tram/bus systems (Manchester, Sheffield & Preston) which offer an alternative. In today’s convenience society with the current technology available at our fingertips it raises the question: Is the traditional High Street actually relevant or sustainable at all?
Perhaps the future lies in developments such as Highams Park in north London – http://www.trilogydevelopments.com/highamspark.html
Such schemes claim to address the environment, society and the economy by offering homes, office space and open spaces. These three elements are closely interlinked with each other and make up important facets of sustainability. Will these developments buck the trend of increasing mobile and web use for shopping? Could these be our new ‘town centre’ destinations?