So, what does the perfect high street of the future look like? Well, with the consumers’ ever-increasing reliance on online shopping, landlords and city councils have had to find solutions to actively encourage visitors to the high street. But how have they gone about enacting change?
Keep reading Access Point’s guide to find out exactly how straightforward improving high streets and town centres can be when you make the most of promotional spaces and community events.
Community Services
Whereas retailers were once fighting over spots on the high street, online shopping has proven to owners that paying those high rent prices isn’t as necessary as they had thought – especially after the pandemic. Landlords are, therefore, now making efforts to populate their buildings with a broader variety of services, building more of a community feel on high streets and creating a necessity for the public to visit.
Nowadays, you’re likely to come across lifestyle and wellness facilities like hairdressers, restaurants and even gyms on the high street. You may even notice services on your local high street in Pod promotional spaces. These temporary spaces are perfect for homing a range of engagements, from seasonal services, like flu vaccinations, to handy businesses, like electricians. By bringing versatility to the high street, footfall is likely to increase as people are offered more of an incentive to visit and casually browse other retailers along the way.
Creating Unique Shopping Spaces
It’s important that a high street is a reflection of its community. No two high streets should be the same! Venues are keeping things exciting by rethinking and redesigning their layouts to create more flexible, mixed-use spaces, with many even having dedicated pop-up shops and kiosk spaces. An ever-changing roster of pop-up traders works to keep things fresh and interesting for customers and provides an incentive for visitors from other cities to revisit time and time again.
These redesigned spaces may even accommodate things like car product placements to widen the selection of retailers and drive footfall even higher. Not only do pop-ups and product placements benefit landlords, but they also allow businesses to access a much broader customer base.
Memorable Shopping Experiences
Reminding shoppers why in-person shopping will always beat out an online experience is key. High street landlords are more keen than ever to utilise promotional spaces for experimental marketing to engage with the public and create genuinely memorable experiences. Whether it’s interactive games or even food sampling and brand awareness engagements, this kind of face-to-face experience cannot be replicated online and works to build a much closer connection with customers.
Hosting Events
Creating a sense of community via events is one of our best tips for improving high streets and town centres. When the Trafford Centre opened, Altrincham high street suffered. Altrincham’s Neighbourhood Plan Forum made efforts to bring focus back to its town centre, however, by planning community-led events at their market hall. This regenerated market hall now draws crowds from all corners of Greater Manchester and further afield with street food festivals and more.
Improving High Streets and Town Centres with Access Point
The ‘perfect’ high street is ever-changing. What’s perfect this month is different from the next, which is ultimately why flexibility is so important for high streets and town centres. Whether you’re a landlord looking to find creative ways to make use of promotional spaces or want to have your services featured on the high street in a pop-up, Access Point can help you out.
You can find out more about us on our website or contact us for more information by calling 01704 544999 or emailing hello@apuk.net.
