Save our high street shops for future generations
SAD times ahead for some of the shops we grew up with and loved. More and more retailers are going to the wall as a combination of business rates, online shopping and changing tastes leave them in debt and out of time.
I’m often asked what I think this means for the high street. Are we looking at boarded up shops and graffiti where once we met and socialised while doing the shopping? What does this mean for our communities?
If you want to fight for your right to shop on the high street, here are a few tips on how to support your local businesses and brands.
the habit, it’s surprisingly easy.
EXPLOIT ONLINE SHOPS
YOU can get anything online, but if you’re buying clothes let’s be realistic – often they won’t fit and other goods might not live up to the photo when they arrive. A recent report suggested that half of all goods ordered online were returned.
So do your browsing online, find something you like and buy on the high street.
SOCIALISE
SHOPS know they have to adapt or die, so loads of them now have cafes, cake and places to chill. A lot of these spaces are better than most chain cafes and restaurants (and have better views or ambiance).
Meet friends and family for a chat and a snack in one and keep those tills ringing.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
YES, yes, we know the big online retailers have got everything and it’s all cheap, but often their customer service is rubbish.
Increasingly, they’re making it harder for you to interact with an actual human being and many are actively looking to automate some services and replace other staff with robots.
So why not have a monthly or weekly embargo on using online shops. Once you break
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RETAILER
IT’S HARDER than ever to be an independent shop. I’d love to see the end of extortionate business rates and other unnecessary costs that are driving some to extinction.
A good way to show your support for an independent business is to spread the word among friends and family. Peer recommendations are the most important form of advertising.
Tell people about the places you love to help keep them in business, and mention them on your social media pages.
TAKE OUT CASH AND HIT THE MARKET
LOCAL markets are the lifeblood of many cities and towns. Your fruit and veg are likely to be cheaper bought from there too. It’s a bit of a myth that supermarkets make life easier for us.
They’re often overpriced and a rip-off. Chances are you can get two-thirds or your weekly shop from a market in one go – so get haggling!
CHECK OUT A COLLECTIVE
INCREASINGLY, shops are banding together to share costs and save on services.
This might involve setting up in shared premises, having a collective online website or shopping portal, working together to provide goods and services for one another and many more creative ways to work together.
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