CHERISH YOUR LOCAL HIGH STREET

From literary bestsellers to this seasons must haves, there is no denying that the internet makes it far easier to compare the price of shopping. But some retailers claim there is now a shift towards using the high street, and buying locally is the only way we are going to save our local economy.

In recent years, a movement has began as people started to realise it really is a case of “use it or lose it”. This movement has taken consumers away from large, impersonal big-box retailers and introduced them to the people doing business in and around their homes. These are local restaurants, boutiques, farmers, tradesmen and many other providers, with items and services sold on a small scale

Clare Rayner of Retail Champion says: “Christmas sales can account for between a third and nearly two-thirds of a retailer’s annual turnover. A bad Christmas can mark disaster for a small business.”

Small and independent businesses are at the heart of our communities and it’s now more important than ever for the community to get behind them and show our support so they do not become obsolete in the near future.

According to ParcelHero’s David Jinks, between 2020 and 2030 half of the UK’s existing shop premises will have disappeared. 100,000 stores will close, leaving just 120,000 shops on our high street. And that’s because by 2030 e-commerce will account for around 40 per cent of all UK retail sales.

However, it’s not just the growth of online shopping that’s chipping away at the high street’s profits. Supermarkets open 24 hours a day and mega stores have pulled shoppers into a single space by offering more items than ever under one roof. As these superstores are often located on the outskirts of town centres, customers are lured away from traditional retail hubs.