Articles in the Sunday press (26.6.11) suggest a bleak future for our high street stores, marked by the recent closure of some 30 Habititat stores, and the collapse of Homeform, owner of Dolphin Bathrooms and Moben kitchens. I was recently very excitied to visit the Centre MK, a succesful shopping centre in Milton Keynes, famed for its creche facilities and range of stores. Admittedly we went on a Wednesday rather than a weekend, but it struck me how few people were shopping, much less it seemed than when I was last lucky enough to get out to a large shopping centre. We were as guilty as the rest as we only bought some thermals on sale in a camping shop, and for all the other items we liked the look of, picked up an in store catalogue for future purchasing on the internet. How often do you go into a shop these days just to look at what’s there, so you know what to order on Amazon or ebay later? This change in our shopping habits is having such a knock-on effect on our high street shops and is cited as one of the main reasons for closures among experts, combined with the slump in consumer confidence.
What do you think will happen to our high street stores? Will they merely be showrooms for people who will then go off and order online? What will happen to all those empty shops, and what will our high streets look like in future?
June 27, 2011 at 7:50 am |
I was in Sevenoaks on Saturday and my husband and I discussed the sad state it was in (four empty shops in a row) and this must surely be one of the most prosperous towns in the south east. I want to open a cake shop but I want small premises to start with to see if it works – all the shops available are huge. Independents cannot and often dont want a huge space – small and sweet is what we need.
]As to buying on line the thing is Comment offer you the same products for £20 less if you buy them on line so is there any wonder we look instore and buy on line
June 28, 2011 at 12:01 pm |
I don’t know how high street retailers survive with the high rental rates – its time they came down to encourage small biz starting up. .
Some manufacturers in the nursery trade will only supply ‘bricks & mortar’ shops and are therefore supporting the high street but even still there are so few small indepenent nursery stores.
For big purchases I research online, browse in store & then usually buy online. I’ve been thinking that the high street needs to move to being more of a “show room” supported by online retailers.
June 29, 2011 at 10:32 am |
I am also completely guilty of shopping online for probably 80% of my purchases, both personal and business.
I wonder will manufactures becoming the retailers also? I think this is the only way that there will be significant margin to sustain a “real life” presence in the high street. If this happens will the “middleman be eradicated all together? If manufactures decide to take on the roll of high street shop as well, then will they also take advantage of the virtual world, thus covering all retail angles?
Thanks Amy, thought provoking blog!
June 29, 2011 at 11:20 am |
There are similar problems here in the US. We don’t really have high street style shopping. However, we do possess the “strip mall” with automobiles delivering people to the storefronts. And we also have the larger malls again supported by automobiles and roads. At present, gasoline prices, unemployment and home foreclosures are causing people to buy less, less often. Further hurting buying is the future uncertainty surrounding our federal government’s debt consumption over the past two years.
I believe the debt consumption by the federal government will be reversed if the public elects fiscal conservatives for the presidency and congress. This will signal better times ahead, leading to business investment and with that, hiring. Right now, the buying public, the media and Wall Street just don’t feel good about the future.
Even after recovery, there will be more online buying. However, we humans need a certain amount of social interaction. We need to feel a product before we buy it. And some things are unique and can’t be ordered online (plants or grass sod or art.) Some purchases are an experience (Apple store). Some are spontaneous (I drift through Home Depot and buy when I realize “I need that”.)
The High Street will be back and thrive. Perhaps a bit of planning and reinvention now will deliver a High Street 2.0 that is even better at delivering what online shopping will never deliver, person to person interaction.
July 1, 2011 at 9:59 am |
I have been meaning to reply to this for a few days as I find this topic really interesting as someone who runs an online gallery, (replacing the high street gallery?!). For big and expensive items I am guilty of shopping online and looking for discount codes etc, however our dishwasher recently gave up, I couldn’t wait a few days for a replacement (well who could!) and went to the local shop, the were amazing, they delivered it for free the same afternoon, fitted it, and took the old one away for no extra charge. I would highly recommend them and will go back again for white goods. Its the service on the high street from small independents which you cant beat.
I do however live in a town with a massive tescos and I make it my weekly mission NOT to shop in there for anything I can buy in the high street, so all of our meat, veggies, etc all come from local independents. I like the one to one relationship I have with the shop owners, that they know my sons name and the greengrocer always gives him some grapes – you dont get that in Tescos!
My butcher even taught me how to make sausages in exchange for a 4 pack of beer!
But speaking to him, me going in a buying a chicken is not enough to keep him going, he looks after a lot of restaurants so a lot of his jobs is pitching and negotiating – not just making nice sausages for me!!!
July 3, 2011 at 6:07 pm |
Hi amy
Good stuff and see my blog for some threads on this issue
http://cpcmcredit.wordpress.com/
October 8, 2011 at 2:38 am |
I think it is not that bad. The Centre MK is in the top ten retail destinations in the UK.
There is also a trend for people to research on line and then buy in the local shop because they want the service and comfort of somewhere to take it back to.
Some things will be bought more online which is why HMV has to find a new model. Other things like fashion will be less so, unless, you are enormously fat and have to buy out sized XXXXXL clothes online because the stores don’t stock them.
We are all in trouble if shops close. Not just because our high streets will become no go zones but also the loss of their business rates will cost everybody else money.