High St revolution will affect us all
House of Frasers announcement that it plans to close more than half its stores is a sign of things to come
There are those who insist that reports about the death of the high street have been greatly exaggerated.
However, this year’s grim toll of bad news presents a significant challenge to the idea that rise of online retailers will not fundamentally change our cities. Toys R US and Maplin went into administration; New Look announced it was to close 60 stores – and Carpetright 92 stores, Prezzo 94, Mothercare 50 and Marks & Spencer more than 100, among others. Now iconic department store House of Fraser has added to this list, saying it expects to shut 31 stores.
The loss of such retail “anchors” may have a knock-on effect on smaller businesses nearby, helping to tip Britain closer towards a full revolution. But it is one that a surprisingly high number of people do not want. A survey of 1,000 people by Atomik Research found 48 per cent would rather visit a shop, compared with 20 per cent who preferred online. But while we might like the idea of shops, the number of closures suggests we settle for their virtual rivals’ convenience.
We may be deluding ourselves on that point. How many times have you had to traipse to an out-of-theway depot to collect an undelivered parcel? How many times have you settled for something that wasn’t quite the right size or not exactly what you ordered simply to avoid the hassle of sending it back?
But even so, the trend seems fairly clear. The beating hearts of our communities are to be ripped out – and, hopefully, replaced by something else. The current thinking seems to be that city centres will become places where we meet to socialise, rather than to buy things. Sensible management of such a transition will be needed as too rapid a rate of store closures and too many job losses could lead to societal problems.
However, the removal of a key link in the supply chain also represents an opportunity for enterprising businesses. Farmers, long the victims of supermarkets’ economic muscle, have provided an early example of what can be achieved, setting up shops – both real and online – to sell their goods directly to the public.
Other small firms should be looking to find their niche – in a global market, it could turn out to be huge. The alternative may end up being to sell through Amazon, a stillgrowing behemoth whose power already eclipses every other retailer on the planet.
“The Conductors pledge themselves for impartiality, firmness and independence... Their first desire is to be honest, the second is to be useful... The great requisites for the task are only good sense, courage and industry”
FROM THE PROSPECTUS OF THE SCOTSMAN, 30 NOVEMBER 1816