In the current market, it seems that only the well-capitalised, corporate businesses are doing well. But with fewer and potentially more powerful brands at play, what is next for the many independent retailers that require our much-needed moral and promotional support for their survival?
Retail success needs to be spread throughout the nation, and to this end I believe that town centre management bodies have a key role to play, to nurture and encourage competition and diversity in local economies. This is crucial, therefore such bodies should address consumer concerns about competition, choice and dominance of major brands in order to defend towns against the ever-increasing factor of homogenisation and the risk of highly bland ‘clone towns’.
With the widespread doom and gloom forever on peoples’ radar, it’s essential for district councillors and government bodies to work together to eliminate the increasing number of vacant retail units in towns and city centres. There’s nothing worse than entering a shopping mall or visiting a high-street location only to be greeted by tawdry looking vacant shop units with fast deteriorating shop fronts and environs. Now more than ever with the ease and convenience of online shopping, consumers need to be tempted out to ‘make a day of it’ in-store.
To that end, I notice that one local borough has taken a pro-active stance in developing a unified ‘positive’ poster campaign to cover the exteriors of empty properties in their town. For this they should be commended. Whilst at one level it can be seen as a purely ‘cosmetic’ exercise to mask the harsh retail realities of the moment, at another level it is the kind of imaginative and innovative thinking that will help to maintain and restore the consumer’s confidence and enjoyment of shopping in that area.
This is the reason why we should be looking for new ways to regenerate and shape the future of UK retail, before our independents shut up shop for good and become a distant memory amongst the retail giants of today.
And, to that end I believe the independent retailers should be lobbying their landlords, local councils, trade associations etc, to help them develop and fund all kinds of effective local marketing initiatives that will keep people shopping in this vital part of the retail sector.
Karl McKeever
Visual Thinking, Leicestershire
