I have worked on the high street from leaving school in counties all over the South of England, for large retailers and independent traders and I have seen things change.
Less than 15 years ago before the internet, the only way you could purchase goods was on the high street. The high street retailer was thriving and margins were good. All were happy .
Then the internet came and things changed. Being able to trade without premises, fewer staff and very little overheads made it possible for online retailers to pass on their savings, undercutting the high street.
Now this was great for the consumer and we all like a bargain, so you can see why shops started to close, however I do not believe this is the reason for the demise of the high street.
The guilty parties are: -
Landlords: -
Too many landlords went for big retailers, who enticed them with long leases and the guarantee of good monies. In the short term I can understand why the landlord would do this, but in the long term, too many towns were being filled with the same “products for sale” and the “variety” (which the internet can give the consumer) was lost.
The consumer turned away from the town. Small retailers closed down. Big retailers saw out their leases and the high street was dead.
Charity Shops:
Charity shops are a must for a town as they serve a purpose and help good causes, however too many are detrimental to a town. I know of one town which has about 40 retail units, and 8 are occupied by charity shops.
This means the local retailer is missing out on sales because he needs to make a decent margin and does not have his “stock donated”? Plus he has to pay staff and rates?
We must limit the amount of charity shops in the High Street.
Local Council:
What does the local council do for the high street? Charge high parking fees? I was charged £16 recently for 4 hours car parking? So imagine if the parking fee was halved? Clients would probably spend that money in the town?
But the biggest guilty party in all of this is the Retailer?
The minimum you must have is experienced staff, whose knowledge on their product is exceptional and it gives the client a reason to come to you to shop. If you do not know your product and the client does not get any information from you, they will turn to the internet.
Also you must have attractive premises, which entices your client to the premises. I know this costs money, but remember it does not need to be expensive and even a lick of paint once a year, does wonders.
It infuriates me when I see a sign in a shop, saying “use us or lose us”!!! You have no right to expect clients to use your services.
We must think of new innovations and ways to attract clients to our shops, to stop the demises of the high street.
I have been in retail for 19 years and have had my own business for 11of those. Most of you probably would not agree with me and I know nobody cares what I think, but with a little care, I do know the high street can prosper.
