London’s high streets get busier as Brits commit to shop more locally
New research from VistaPrint* reveals that the people of London are returning to the high street, with a quarter (26%) making trips almost daily.
Two in five (42%) say that their local high street is busier than it was a year ago, largely driven by new openings within the past 12 months, signalling high hopes for a high street revival.
Almost half (45%) of people based in London feel proud of their local high street, and 83% would like to see more independent businesses open. This is due to the impact they have on creating jobs (47%), improving the local community (43%) and the appearance of town centres (39%).
Busiest high streets across the UK compared to a year ago
Regions with the most new openings on the high street
Cities with the largest demand for independent shops
London
Glasgow
Plymouth
Birmingham
2. Bristol
2. Edinburgh
3. Cardiff
Edinburgh
3. Glasgow
4. Brighton
Birmingham
4. Newcastle
5. Manchester
Manchester
5. Manchester
60% have seen their local high street benefit from new openings, pointing to growing confidence in these communities. The consensus among Brits is that they want to see more independent shops including coffee shops, cafés and boutiques open and believe they can personally support growth by shopping local more often (51%), recommending shops to family and friends (42%) and leaving positive reviews (38%).
As UK shoppers recognise the role they play ensuring that the future of their high street is secure, they also understand the economic challenges. Introducing cheaper rents (54%), lowering business rates (46%) and granting tax relief for bricks and mortar stores (32%) could help encourage more independent stores to the high street.
The findings come as VistaPrint launches its Realising the Remarkable grant programme with Enterprise Nation which aims to help small businesses supercharge their growth with individual grants worth £5,000, up to £30,000.
Sabine Levellier, VP of Marketing at VistaPrint, said: “At VistaPrint, we see every day the impact small businesses have on the communities they serve. This research shows that demand for physical stores is growing again, which is a positive sign for the future of UK high streets. We know that first impressions matter and the role of storefront marketing has never been more important. Now in our third year of the Realising the Remarkable campaign with Enterprise Nation, we’re proud to continue supporting more entrepreneurs, because when small businesses succeed, our high streets and local economies succeed too.”
