The Guardian newspaper published an interesting report yesterday on the changing nature of the retail mix to be found on the UK high street.
A stroll down the high street used to be about buying pork chops at the butcher and a bunch of carnations from the florist, but a new study suggests a haircut and a nail buff now top our shopping lists.
The rapidly changing face of Britain’s high streets shows an army of hairdressers and beauticians on the march but the number of newsagents, butchers and independent fashion stores in marked decline as they struggle to compete with the onslaught from supermarkets and larger chains.
A third of independent high street stores are now cafes, pubs, restaurants and takeaways rather than traditional retailers, according to a study of 75,000 retailers by an insurance company.
Notice the role attributed to supermarkets in these changes? Have you seen the newsagency store within a store concept developed by Coles and which is evolving to a new level here?
Australian newsagents thinking about the future are sure to find the report interesting.
The idea of the high street in Britain is more than 150 years old and the ‘institution’ has been very slow to react to what the supermarkets and other out of town traders have been up to. This of course has not been helped by the ownership structure and town planning laws or rent and local property taxes or car parking charges. Foe the past 20 years in particular town centres have been up against it. I think these issues are what has caused the challenge that these traditional centres are suffering from today. Solutions now that’s the question.
Steve
Yes Steve, for all of us, the billion dollar question. Those of us at least thinking about it are ahead of so many others.
You are right there Mark!
Steve, is there discussion in the UK among newsagents and their representatives about this? If so, can you share a flavor…
A British newsagent tends to be a small shop serviced by a delivery agent.
They’re the last of a dying breed of independent retailers.
The distribution side is thoroughly corporatised. e.g.
http://www.tdnews.co.uk/
Corporatisation of businesses is an unintended but scarily real consequence of deregulation.
The strong get stronger, the weak get weaker… and the big get gigantic.
Ref: grocery, hardware, clothing, electronics, home electrical etc, etc. Are there any small traders left ?