Consumers ask to help reshape the high street
BRITAIN’S embattled high street is in the midst of a revolution and consumers want an active role in shaping its future, according to new research from Deloitte.
The business advisory firm’s latest consumer study out today, says that despite the highly publicised concerns regarding its future, residents continue to value the high street and want to help reinvent it.
Nearly three quarters (73 per cent) of the 1,200 consumers surveyed said they wanted to decide the services and shops that are included on their high street, with 59 per cent calling for a broader range of shops and 57 per cent who would like to see more independent retailers.
Deloitte’s UK head of retail Ian Geddes said: “Much has been written about the end of the high street, however, we take a different view. This latest research shows that the high street remains vital to consumers, albeit the role it plays is likely to adapt in response to emerging digital retail trends.”
The high street came under further pressure last week ahead of Christmas after shoe retailer Barratts and film rental chain Blockbuster fell into administration, with hundreds of jobs at risk.