How can we bring life back to the high street?

"Our high streets have been slowly changing for decades. While some of that change has been good, the current economic climate, combined with the increasing power of supermarkets and the rise of internet shopping, means that independent retailers are facing a daily struggle to stay in business" says Corin Birchall, founder of Kerching Retail. He looks at how local authorities can support their struggling independent retailers.

Local authorities now face a dilemma: stand back and watch as independents go under, leaving behind a high street full of boarded up shops; or be proactive and look for ways to support their independent traders?

A case can be made for the survival of the fittest – that retailers should stand on their own two feet. But local shopping is all about engaging with the community, and retail plays a unique role in that community with its success and failure highly visible to both residents and visitors. The state of a high street, rightly or wrongly, creates a preconception of the success or affluence of the local community. The only way to resolve the independent retail issue is to create change at its roots. Many current schemes such as Buy Local are positive, but do little more than paper over the cracks and fail to create significant behavioural changes in residents' shopping habits. Free parking initiatives are only effective if the retail experience is good enough, whilst loyalty schemes often lose momentum if retailers fail to support them sufficiently.

Ultimately, it is the quality of the retail experience that draws customers to the high street. How enticing are the window displays? How engaging are the staff? Are customers stimulated emotionally inside the stores? Are product ranges varied and unique? Does the retailer give the consumer a sound reason to inconvenience themselves and go there?

To read the full report and case studies from publicservice.co.uk, click here.