The recovery of the high street in Gedling - a tall tale, against the online entertainment era?

From Bestwood to Colwick and Newstead to Lambley, Gedling borough has plenty of fantastic high streets to wander around. In recent times though, high streets in many parts of the borough have not looked in such fine fettle.

The impact of Covid lockdowns certainly seemed to have an impact in this regard and left many parts of Gedling with derelict, empty shops.

A £105,203 government grant in 2021 though was a real help in terms of getting the borough’s high streets back on their feet, as were plans announced in May 2022 for landlords to be forced to rent out empty shops to businesses who wanted them.

Stories like this, and more people coming back to local shops, seem to suggest that a recovery is starting to take hold – but can it really survive in the era of online entertainment?  

Online entertainment a hit in Gedling

While the Covid pandemic was a major blow for high street businesses in the borough, online entertainment is also an issue for them.

As more people have gotten used to doing things online and carrying out tasks via the internet, it has meant less people are going to the high street to buy things they need. It has also meant people are socialising more online, rather than meeting up in local cafes, pubs and restaurants.

But what types of online entertainment do people across Gedling enjoy most?  

Online casino gaming

Playing casino games online is big all over the UK, and this is certainly true for people in this part of Nottinghamshire.

If you have never tried iGaming before, this Fortune Coin’s social casino review and guide sums up why online casino sites are so popular. It also shows just what the high street in Gedling is up against when it comes to competing with online entertainment options.

Playing games like this from home compared to a physical casino is a lot more convenient for example and means you do not have to leave the house. When you also consider that online casinos are open 24/7, have awesome bonuses for players and offer mobile play for gaming whenever you’re free, you can see their appeal. 

Online shopping

Online spending in 2022 around the UK grew to an estimated £120.6bn. This shows how popular shopping via the internet has now become around the country and how well-loved it is by Brits.

As with online casino gaming, much of its popularity comes down to the convenience it offers and the chance it gives to shop from home, whether you need clothes or other items. This is naturally something which impacts high street shops, as it means less people are visiting them to buy things in person.  

TV and film streaming services

Another good example of online entertainment which is now huge in the UK are TV/film streaming services.

Netflix is a good example, and a way many people access the content they want, when they want it, from home. It’s easy to see why people love them when you consider the range of choice they offer in terms of the latest TV programmes and films.

This is not always great for the high street though, as it means people are not going out to the cinema in person to catch the latest movies. It also means they are staying in to watch hit TV shows, rather than going out at night to local pubs or events like the Dyb Dob Beer festival in Arnold.

Can online entertainment and high street shopping co-exist in Gedling?  

It can be tempting to think of online entertainment and high street shopping as being mutually exclusive; however, this is not always the best way to look at it though.

It is in fact much better to recognise the value in both activities and find ways to enjoy each of them in daily life. People in Gedling might enjoy playing at an online casino one night and then heading out for a drink in a local bar the next.

Alternatively, they could watch a film at home one night but then head out to catch a major blockbuster in person the next. When you also consider how mixing up shopping online and in person on the high street in the day could work, it is easy to see how online and offline entertainment can exist together.

Can the high street in Gedling compete with online entertainment choices?  

As the above highlights, high streets across the borough of Gedling can not only survive but also prosper, even with the current popularity of online entertainment.

The key is not to compete with it, but to offer something different from it. This allow both high street shopping and online entertainment to have a bright future.