Martin Newman backs Down Your High Street

Martin Newman, Founder and former Chairman of Practicology, is among a group of investors who, via Crowdcube, have invested £272,000 in Down Your High Street, a new initiative which brings independent stores online.

In a LinkedIn post, he says: “Shopping on our High Streets is an enormous part of our recreational economy, and that space isn’t going to be filled by the faster option of ordering online. The truth is that there’s a place for both online and in-store businesses in our economy, and it’s exciting to be involved in that shift in the market.”

Britain needs to embrace its future as a multi-channel economy, and accept that customers choose experiences as much as they choose products, Newman argues. “Rather than viewing High Streets as on the way out, we should understand that e-tail and retail complement eachother and give the customer a range of options to engage with the way they shop.”

“We live in exciting times, and by celebrating this diversification we can work with what our customers really want to ensure a great future for stores and shoppers alike. I’m putting my money, and my advice, where my mouth is, because Britain’s High Streets are here to stay. It certainly isn’t dying. Down Your High Street is a brilliant concept and I’m proud to be a part of its journey,” he concludes.