UK high street fights back amid rise and rise of next-day delivery and round the clock online shopping

New research from VistaPrint reveals that 85% of Brits want to see more independent businesses on the UK high street.

This comes as the company announces the winners of the third year of the ‘Realising the Remarkable’ programme - a £30,000 grant initiative in partnership with Enterprise Nation, aimed at supporting small business growth with six independent high street businesses bagging grants of £5,000.

This year, over 1,100 small businesses from across the UK participated in the programme. From these applicants, 23 businesses were shortlisted and invited to submit a two-minute pitch on how they would use the grant to grow their business. The six winners were then selected by the judges.

They include Craig’s Barbershop, an inclusive barbershop in Bolton, Neighbourhood Store in Shoreham-by-Sea- which showcases work by independent sellers, Snug Bookshop in Somerset, which hosts inclusive literary events, Y.O.U Underwear, an ethical underwear shop in Oxford, Hoyle’s Oxford, a family run games shop in Oxford and Little Lizzie’s in Belfast, which is supporting families going through grief. 

According to VistaPrint’s research, involving 2,000 Brits, 45% now visit their local high street at least once a week, with 25–34-year-olds emerging as the most frequent visitors, often making trips almost daily.

36% say their local high street is busier than it was a year ago, signalling optimism for a sustained revival. While just one in four over-55s feel proud of their local high street, this figure rises to 68% among 25–34-year-olds. Many believe small business owners help create jobs (47%), strengthen communities (44%) and enhance the appearance of town centres (41%).

Shoppers also believe they can play a role in supporting growth by shopping locally more often (51%), recommending shops to family and friends (42%) and leaving positive reviews (38%).

Sabine Levellier, VP of Marketing at VistaPrint, says: “We see every day the impact small businesses have on the communities they serve. Our research shows that demand for physical stores is growing again, underlining the importance of strong marketing and first impressions.”

“Now in its third year, Realising the Remarkable continues to celebrate the entrepreneurs driving that revival. This year’s winners reflect the purpose led, diverse nature of UK small businesses and the vital role they play in bringing high streets and local communities to life.”

Aaron Asadi, CEO at small business support platform and membership community Enterprise Nation, says: "As this research shows, small businesses are not just the heart of our high streets, but the heartbeat of their local communities. Behind every successful independent store is a founder whose deeply personal motivation and dedication drive them to not only be different, but make a real difference. And it’s helping to turn the tide.” 

“We’re delighted to partner with VistaPrint for the third year in supporting entrepreneurs who are stepping up to create vibrant, purposeful spaces we can all be proud of. These inspiring grant winners highlight the innovation, resilience, and energy helping to drive a high street revival.”

“There’s now a growing trend towards choosing independents over uniformity. With dedicated support, targeted grants like these, and the backing of the public, we believe independent small businesses will continue to transform our town centres and build stronger, more connected communities across the UK.” 

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Physical retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards will open for entries in April. They celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.