High Street UK 2020 Simon Quin & Professor Cathy Parker Institute of Place Management, Manchester Metropolitan University WELCOME
Vitality & viability
town centre retail spend falling
Share of retail spend that is online 2014
Alsager Altrincham Ballymena Barnsley Congleton Holmfirth Market Rasen Morley St George, Bristol Wrexham
Literature review finding the evidence
164 measures of retail centre performance 1
166 factors that influence performance 2
50 additional factors identified by town partners!
22 experts ranked 201 factors
vitality and viability 1.How much influence each factor has on the vitality and viability of the High Street 2.How much control a location has over the factor
Forget it Live with it Not worth it Get on with it! Get on with it! How much each factor influences vitality and viability How much control over a factor HSUK 2020 model
Attractions Accessibility Amenity Action 4 As
Retailers Comparison/convenience Chain vs Independent Merchandise Anchors Diversity Entertainment & Leisure 1. Attractions what the centre has to offer
Walking Accessible Liveable 2. Accessibility getting into, out of, and around the centre
Appearance Experience Necessities Attractiveness Recreational space Safety and crime Store development 3. Amenity experience within the centre
4. Action making things happen
Activity hours Vision & strategy (leadership) Place marketing Management Barriers to entry Place assurance Adaptability Networks & partnerships 4. Animator making things happen
Repositioning Reinventin g Rebranding Restructuring 4 Rs
Restructuring town centres are complex and contested places. They need vision, leadership and partnership management (Peel 2014, Rainisto 2003)
Footfall data indicator of vitality Supplied by Springboard 62 UK towns and cities 30 months of footfall ( ) 563,828,709 people counted!
Spatial Macro Meso Micro FOOTFALL Catchment Economy Competition Vacanc y Internet Location Organisation Offer
Spatial Macro Meso Micro CHURCH ROAD FOOTFALL FORECAST
92,300 Spatial Resident population and employment Location + Serves a dense urban population + Has nearly 3000 businesses + Has a resident population
59,976 Meso Competition Vacancy -Catchment is attracted to city and rivals -Attractiveness is weakened by vacancy
53,041 Micro Organisation Offer -13% of footfall lost through lack of organisational control -Lack of reliable footfall profile. Is CR providing an appropriate offer? (Comparison, Convenience or Speciality?) Mansfield, Gravesend, Grimsby
47,710 Macro Average monthly footfall in 2020 Economy Internet shopping Smaller, comparison shopping towns more at risk. Retail parks and Internet taking more footfall.
Why measure footfall? Represents how important you are to your catchment – not just retail Tells you what type of town you are Tells you if initiatives are working Helps town and stakeholders adapt to changing conditions
What type of town are you? 1. Comparison Shopping Town A strong retail offer.
Comparison Shopping towns Wide range of retail choice Strong retail anchor(s) Large catchment area Accessible by choice of means of transport Organise themselves to compete with other comparison towns and channels
What type of town are you? 2. Speciality town A unique offer, including retail, events, heritage, etc.
Speciality towns Offer something unique and special Anchor(s) not retail Attract visitors but serve local population Have longer dwell time Organise themselves to protect and promote identity and positioning
What type of town are you? 3. Convenience/Community town A convenient location for a mix of retail, services and other benefits.
Convenience/community town Focused on local community (offer, opening times, events etc) Convenience anchor – work, public transport, food shopping, markets Offers convenient mix of goods and services Accessible and locally connected
Convenience/community town Organise themselves to manage accessibility, concentration, reliability, and customer service……and identify additions to augment offer (click & collect etc)
and Church Road? We don’t know…. A convenience/community centre? Footfall profile needed to assess
Questions 1.What type of centre is Church Road now? 2.What type of centre will meet the needs of the 2020 catchment? 3.How is the area organised and how will you address the 25 HSUK2020 priorities?