Business Support

By developing a local authority-wide strategy that follows an evidence-based understanding of changing customer habits and demands, councils can support town centre businesses in adapting and creating new opportunities.

Evolving retail role

Shops and shopping will continue to evolve and play an important role in town aided by local strategy that adapts to national changes and local circumstances. According to a report on the future of retail by they can respond in-part with training and investment in technology that will create better paid jobs, although there may be fewer of them. As well as brokering national schemes such as the Apprenticeship Levy, councils can have a key role in determining the retail role and growth of neighbouring centres, working with partners in place branding and marketing plus supporting independent shops through digital skills and infrastructure.

Focusing on food and drink

One of the key factors driving the better performance of high streets relative to shopping centres over the last decade, has how their offer has widened including particularly the food and beverage sector. Many town and city centres have a large customer base who are not local during the working day. Evening and weekend footfall have been part of the good news story for town and city centres recently. As part of the COVID-19 recovery planning, it will be essential that Councils engage with the hospitality sector to create a town-wide approach to the safe re-opening and operation of cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars.

Local Networking

Councils can help businesses to help themselves by surveying their needs, supporting local networks, working with chambers of trade and helping to establish new business improvement districts (BIDs). Such a coming together can enable mentoring in skills such as visual merchandising, achieve savings through group purchasing, enable joint marketing and create new town centre events.