England’s ‘High Streets’ minister Brandon Lewis MP has launched a national competition to find our Great British high streets.
Department for Communities and Local Government writes:
The search is on to find our Great British high streets as a new report reveals increasing optimism among shoppers and the growing popularity of ‘click-and-collect’ services.
A national competition, the Great British High Street Awards, is being launched by High Streets Minister Brandon Lewis, alongside new evidence showing that our high streets are rising to the challenge set by consumers who want increased convenience and more flexibility of services on the high streets.
The search to find and celebrate the best high streets in the country is being run by the Future High Streets Forum and the Association of Town and City Management. There are 6 separate categories in recognition of the diversity of Britain’s high streets:
- city centre
- town centre
- market town
- coastal community
- village
- parade of shops.
The government’s long-term economic plan has supported local high streets with a billion pound package of investment that includes targeted business rate discounts, sensible planning changes and action tackling over-zealous parking practices.
Many high streets affected by the economy in 2008 are now thriving as a result of changes made to serve their communities in increasingly popular ways and High Streets Minister Brandon Lewis believes this should be recognised. He said: ‘Whether it is a market town, coastal village or city centre, there are so many high streets across Britain doing fantastic work and now every community will be able to get behind their home town’s bid to show how popular they are.’
This competition will discover where the Great British high streets are and celebrate their brilliance. I want the public to tell my panel of experts why their area should win. The most popular will get all the accolades that come with being named the best in Britain when we announce the winners in autumn.
The competition comes as new analysis by Experian found that high street managers and shop owners are positive about the future thanks to a strengthening economy and the emergence of the ‘one stop shopper’ who prioritises convenience and leisure. This is contributing to greater footfall and people spending more time on the high street.
The study identifies the rise of this evolving consumer behaviour where shoppers prefer ‘convenience culture’ such as click-and-collect services so they can multi-task and have more time to socialise while doing their shopping in this convenient way.
Different parts of the country are catering for this in a variety of ways, whether it is giving older people easier access to services, helping bargain hunters browse the best deals online or offering city dwellers more fun and variety. This shift is being reflected in a high street that is rapidly moving beyond traditional retail into a ‘Great British’ experience. The report points to the steady growth of convenience stores (+153%), cafes (+75%), fast food (+30%) and restaurants (+20%) as proof of this evolution.
The competition will be held throughout the summer. Town teams are invited to nominate their high streets and bids will be published online so communities can show their backing alongside at www.thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk.
Experian research, Helping people make great places
Listen to an audioboo of High Streets Minister Brandon Lewis asking the public to get behind their favourite high street
