The future of retail needs a radical rethink, and fast.
High streets need to be multi-purpose, multi-use, reflective of local context and relevant to the way people are now consuming.
We believe the future is bright for our town centres, for they are the beating heart of the community. We believe that recent store closures and the number of vacant shops nationwide does not mean town centres are dying, but that consumer behaviours are shifting. The ‘offer’ from retail needs to match a changing demographic that has a maturing taste and understanding about the values of disposable income. It needs to recognise that people are eschewing ‘goods’ in favour of experiences; something that’s reflected in the general market buoyancy of leisure, sports, travel, café culture, events.
HemingwayDesign have a research and thought leadership team that have both a long history of working in town centres and deep insights into their future. We have been researching current and emerging shopping trends for some time now and in early 2021 produced the report ‘The Town Centre is Dead, Long Live the Town Centre’ with the data we unearthed.
