UK high streets were once the lively centres of towns and cities. But in recent years, they have been experiencing a steady decline due to factors like the rise of online shopping and changes in the economy. With these changes, traditional brick-and-mortar stores found it increasingly difficult to complete, leading to many closing their doors, leaving vacant storefronts behind, as well as new challenges for local communities.
However, amidst these struggles, there are new opportunities for transformation. Empty spaces are now being repurposed into mixed-use developments, blending residential, leisure, and commercial elements to bring new leases of life into these once-vibrant areas.
The team at BS Fixings takes pride in supplying building materials to help kickstart new builds and renovations, so we pay close attention to the developments within the UK construction world, and, in turn, like to keep you informed of our findings. This is what we have recently discovered about how UK high streets are being revived by government and council plans.
What Caused the Decline in Brick-and-Mortar Retail?
There are several factors responsible for the steady decline in UK high street shopping, with some of the most significant ones involving the rise of online shopping, economic factors, as well as the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Impact of Online Shopping
One of the most profound changes to shopping in recent decades is the rise of online retail. Large wholesale platforms, like Amazon, as well as online stores from various popular brands, have changed the way people shop, promoting more digitally driven consumers.
This can be attributed to the convenience that online shopping provides, with products being able to be viewed on a phone and get delivered right to a buyer’s doorstep, negating the need to venture to a physical location at all.
The Impact of Economic Changes
Economic factors also played a significant role. The financial crash of 2008, as well as the cost-of-living crisis in recent years, have both impacted the level of people’s disposable incomes. With less money to spend, consumers would become more cautious, leading to a reduction in shopping trips. On the other side, rising rental costs also meant that businesses were finding it more and more difficult to sustain their presence on the street, even driving some to close permanently.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Whilst the rise of online shopping was impactful enough on its own, it was further accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. Due to multiple government-enforced lockdowns, non-essential retail stores were forced to close for extended periods, drastically reducing footfall and revenue. With physical shops shut, consumers relied on online shopping for their needs, further shifting their purchasing habits away from high streets. This led to a significant decline, with 17,500 chain store outlets disappearing in 2020 alone.
The Rise of Empty Spaces and Deserted Shopping Centres
With the closure of numerous shops, high streets across the UK have been left with large amounts of unused space. Entire shopping centres that once thrived are now shells of their former selves, often falling into disrepair. The appearance of these derelict places makes the surrounding areas less attractive to potential visitors, causing even more issues for local communities.
How is this Issue Being Tackled?
Rather than being left to deteriorate and drag down the images of communities, developers have seen potential in repurposing these spaces by building mixed-use developments to bring back engagement and meet new needs.
Residential Areas
One of the main examples of mixed-use developments is the inclusion of residential areas. With housing shortages across the UK, redeveloping empty retail spaces into residential units addresses the current housing problem and brings people back to the high street. As residents will now be living close to brick-and-mortar retailers, there is a greater chance of them engaging with the surrounding stores.
Leisure Facilities
Leisure facilities, such as cinemas, gyms, cafes, and restaurants, are also being incorporated into these mixed-use developments. These spaces provide recreational aspects that aim to attract people back to the high street, encouraging them to spend time and money in their local area.
Examples of UK High Street Developments
There are already several examples of high streets that have been transformed or are currently going under transformation into thriving mixed-use spaces:
Transformed Spaces:
- Wokingham Town Centre: The town centre of Wokingham has been revitalised over the past five years in their council’s bid to adapt the town to changing circumstances. Changes include a new public square with shops, bars, restaurants, and homes at Peach Place. There is also a Premier Inn hotel that surrounds a beautiful, landscaped park.
- Barnsley Town Centre: A £200 million Glass Works project played a pivotal role in transforming the market of Barnsley Town Centre, creating modern spaces for retail and leisure businesses, as well as a public square that is the centre of many events.
Ongoing Projects:
- The Galleries: This £135 million project aims to provide the town centre of Wigan with a vibrant new retail, leisure, commercial, and residential destination. The new area will include a cinema, bowling alley, music venue, and much more. The old Galleries building has already been demolished, with redevelopment underway.
- Crewe Town Centre: This regeneration programme for the town centre of Crewe sets out a number of priorities, including the delivery of the Royal Arcade scheme as a mixed-use attraction.
Final Thoughts
Whilst the decline of brick-and-mortar retail on the UK high streets has brought challenges, it has also promoted forward-thinking, leading to many strategies using mixed-use developments. These action plans have helped breathe new life into towns and cities, helping to create vibrant, multi-purpose spaces that meet the needs of today’s communities, and with more redevelopments being planned and carried out, the future for high streets is looking bright.
Bring Life into Your Builds with BS Fixings
If you are looking to revive and refurbish your old builds and projects, then look no further than BS Fixings. We offer a range of high-quality building materials, fixings, and decorating products in our bid to help your builds look as good as new. Browse our website to discover the full extent of what we offer, or contact us with any questions you need answering.
