Exeter’s High Street proves popular with shoppers and visitors

Exeter’s High Street has been rated as the fifth most appealing in Britain, according to a new study.

Research commissioned by American Express scored Exeter’s main thoroughfare highly for what it offered shoppers and visitors to the city.

The study ranked the top 10 high streets in Britain, all of which were found to offer an ideal combination of functional and leisurely shopping.

Queen Street in Cardiff was awarded the top spot, followed by high streets ?in Gloucester, Chester, Winchester, and then Exeter.

Also ranked highly were high streets in Edinburgh, Worcester, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Manchester.

The study was carried out in May, when retail experts GlobalData, surveyed 2,000 consumers across Britain.

It revealed that 67 per cent of those who took part were looking for an attractive mix of retailers when planning their shopping days out.

62 per cent agreed that good parking options were an important consideration.

It also revealed that 52 per cent of respondents were influenced by the number of independent pubs and restaurants in an area.

Those high streets with plenty of leisure and entertainment options like cinemas also attracted higher foot traffic, mentioned by 36 per cent of those surveyed.

Shoppers regarded proximity to train stations and green spaces as less important.

Initially, GlobalData compiled a list of 25 locations before choosing where to conduct their analysis.

The survey said: “Exeter’s strong ranking, even behind much larger cities, is a positive sign that the Devon capital is ready to boost consumer confidence by meeting this array of demands.

“Also encouraging, is the revelation that 73 per cent of shoppers believe that their local high street will remain important to their everyday lives in 10 years’ time.”

Dan Edelman, General Manager of American Express’s UK Merchant Services, said: “Each of the top locations identified by our research offers exceptional retail experiences blended with choices to socialise and relax. Consumers continue to value our high streets and believe they will remain important well into the future. While there is no one solution to guarantee ongoing success, it’s encouraging to see there are plenty of opportunities for collaboration to help deliver this winning formula.”

Matt Piner, Head of Retail Consulting at GlobalData, added: “With consumer expectations and shopping habits evolving at pace, high streets are having to continuously adapt to stay relevant. The locations getting it right benefit from higher footfall and spend; in fact, our analysis shows millions of pounds of additional consumer spending could be unlocked for a typical high street that delivers on the factors shoppers care most about.”