Stores told to try something new to entice shoppers back to high street

Experts suggest a way forward for retailers as more of us go online while our fashion ed reveals latest looks at Marks & Spencer

Shops in Scotland will have to offer something new to entice shoppers now accustomed to buying online, experts warn.

While restrictions have lifted, many Scots are still working from home or are too nervous to venture out, and footfall on high streets has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Online shopping became the go-to during lockdown, and many shoppers have permanently migrated to digital when it comes to updating their wardrobes. However, experts think a little innovative thinking could be the key to reviving physical shopping again.

Dr Elaine Ritch, senior lecturer in marketing at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: “People will return to the high street when there is something to tempt them there. Physical retail needs to change. If it can match the vibrancy that’s appearing online, people will come back. The high street really needs to think about coming up with something new to pull people in.

“If people can buy online and get free delivery and returns, flash sales and everything at the touch of a button, shopping in store needs to have a new offering.”

Leigh Sparks, professor of retail studies at Stirling University, added: “At the moment, it is still a mixed pattern, with people venturing out more, but others being nervous still. Demand has altered and people are buying things they need, and related to the weather and their movements. There is some shift back from online going on.

“But people do need to be engaged by retailers and I think this has become more important in determining where they choose to shop.”

Ritch said it was exciting a few months ago to see the opening

of Edinburgh’s new St James Quarter, a retail-led, lifestyle district, filled with shops, restaurants and leisure activities.

But it led to a realisation that the capital’s Princes Street, which used to be the main shopping hub in the city, has become almost deserted.

“St James Quarter created such a buzz, but then you see Princes Street. Jenners, House of Fraser, and Topshop have all gone. Compared to its heyday, it looks quite sad.”

However, Ritch says the good news is that new trends are emerging to entice people back.

“We are seeing some closed down department stores reopening for activities like crazy golf and skateboarding parks and roller discos, and, along with eateries and cinemas, these experiences add value to the shopping experience.

“That’s what the high street needs. There has to be a more diverse offering. People don’t just want shopping, they also want to be having an experience.”

But added value, she said, needed in store, too.

“Shops could entice people with catwalk shows, ‘Meet the Maker’ sessions or even a talk from an expert or a member of staff about the product.

“Really, if you can get something online delivered to your door, why would you bother going into the shop unless you are getting something extra? I think this is giving retailers something to think about and an opportunity to be innovative.”

Sparks says it’s this positive energy and focus on customer engagement that will increase footfall again – as well as the introduction of smaller, independent stores.

“There is anecdotal evidence that across Scotland independent retailers are opening on high streets and town centres and capturing good trade as consumers recognise their difference, distinctiveness and excellence,” he said.

“It is interesting to see the reuses of say BHS, which are showing a much broader set of uses and reflect a move towards a more balanced high street. And there is clear evidence of the opening of independent and niche retailers in many places, suggesting there is a point of difference out there and consumers may be willing to look around if the proposition is right.”

Ritch agrees: “We are seeing more of an interest in sustainability than fast fashion, and people are looking beyond the high street for that,” she said. “The UK is one of the worst places in Europe for fast fashion. But it can be soulless, and all the same. Elsewhere, shoppers much prefer smaller independent boutiques. Online, with pop up ads and targeted ads on social media, these types of businesses are attracting the attention of Brits.

“It would be lovely to see retailers like this move on to the high streets here and gain the same popularity as they have in Europe.

“I was reading about an old department store down in England that has been taken over by independent retailers. It even has a dog food hall! It’s novelties like these – and this added value – that will bring people back to the high street.”