UK High Street down but far from out, Bruceshaw

A new report from Bruceshaw, a team of cost consultants and project managers, has called for the urgent reinvention of the UK High Street. It also stresses that, while technology has a key role to play, it cannot be seen as a panacea.

“Clearly technology will only work if it solves genuine problems. If it doesn’t make your life easier then it won’t get the uptake,” says Tim Valler, Senior Associate at Bruceshaw.

Used properly, technology can add to the customer experience, whether through Wi-Fi, augmented reality and virtual reality, or robotics and automation for in-store delivery. In the UK, physical space remains limited and real estate is still expensive, so there is a need to find cheaper and more flexible ways of doing things. Powered by technology, changes of use and mixed usage are the way to evolve, Bruceshaw argues.

“The one constant about retail is change,” adds Valler. “Only a decade ago I was working on huge Tesco superstores with mezzanine levels for non-food, the bigger the better at the time. There was also a lot of talk about homogenised High Streets, featuring all the same national chains. Now we are seeing the return of small independents, the ongoing rise of food and beverage and specialist food retailers. There are also lots of new experience concepts, like the pottery design shops for kids’ parties. So it’s a very different marketplace.”

The report also argues that the High Street needs to become fertile ground for innovators and disruptors. “We can see that many of the legacy retailers are struggling but there are plenty of great retail ideas out there and they need to be encouraged to see the High Street as a fantastic channel to the consumer,” comments Paul Body, Managing Partner, Bruceshaw.

Local authorities will, meanwhile, be at the heart of transformation. “We have seen councils stepping in to buy struggling shopping centres. In fact, councils are key in many locations, because they have compulsory purchase powers and tools to change the high street and the public realm. Many retailers are looking to offload and so these assets may well be repurposed to bring in residential and co-working, while keeping the prime space as retail,” Valler says.