The Retail High St Isn't Screwed It Just Needs Something More Than Love.

We read a new story every day, we see updated headlines every day, and if we're in the industry sometimes we even hear it first hand from friends, colleagues and family. I'm talking about the supposed demise of the traditional retail brick and mortar retailers most of us grew up with.

Sure there are plenty of casualties, sure many of them clung onto the old way of doing things, you might even argue they did it to themselves.

For those waiting for the Government to come up with a plan forget it, for those listening to government sponsored retail sages like 'Mary Portas', or even those that think the 'Universe' and 'The Secret' will magically resolve all the retail woes in the UK High St you will most definitely need to think again.

Today the consumer is spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping. Today's tech savvy shopper might go online via their mobile phone, but they are also going to visit 'physical' retailers, especially those that have innovated and created a great experience, after all retail is all about how it makes us feel isn't it?

If that isn't true then why are so many 'click' retailers looking to open up physical locations, this is happening from the mighty 'Amazon' to 'Missguided' (don't mention NBrown) and others.

I've seen some great towns reinvent themselves.

Along with the 'multiple retail model' we also got the 'multiple retail experience' with shitty non personal service, which in my opinion misses a few huge things that makes, well, retail, retail.....

There are some great benchmark towns around the UK doing some awesome stuff creating immersive experiences which encourages genuine dwell time and advocacy. They do this through working with local people and businesses to deliver something the community feels happy to support, this ranges from food festivals, to artisan markets covering all kinds of goods and creativity that support local entrepreneurs who in turn support the local economy, which after all is how all towns and cities grew over the centuries.

Are Christmas markets really just for Christmas?

If your a fan of the garish blue and yellow distinctive colours of Swedish big box retailer 'Ikea' (I'm not BTW) and their unique retail sheep herding shopping maze that for many can drive shopping relationships to distraction then hold onto your retail braces.

Ikea has bought a shopping centre in west London and is understood to be looking for more malls in the UK as it makes the most of bargain prices in the crisis-hit retail property market.

It seems they are also on the lookout for a number of other shopping mall locations that at one time was full of an eclectic mix of the US version of retail homogenization that started to invade our shores in the early 80's and has now left us all somewhat bewildered, and dare I say it bored.

As shopping centres from companies like 'Intu' continue to find the current retail climate as challenging as those retail High St's they were happy to disrupt, it seems that these days you can now pick up a shopping mall for a knock down price.

And what about those forlorn empty department stores that are still sat in prime town centre locations creating more of a tumbleweed experience than a bad spaghetti western?

About 16 stores closed their doors in the UK every day in the first half of 2019 while only nine opened, resulting in a net decline of 1,234 chain stores on Britain’s top 500 high streets according to analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and high street analysts the Local Data Company (LDC). This data doesn't even include the struggling independent retailers who also are the unknown victims of years of stagnation by central and local government that simply assumed that those hefty business rates would still be there for years to come.

It's a similar story when you look across the pond to the US who too are feeling the retail pain.

The whole industry is in a sate of flux, it's really struggling to find out how to compete in this agile multi-channel, digitally savvy consumer led world.

What about those major Supermarket chains who are already starting to feel the pinch from European upstarts Aldi and Lidl, what's going to happen when they have enough enforced 'distribution centres' and when their online model tips the 20% level as is predicted?

Is there an opportunity for innovative retailers and pension funds to bypass years of planning permissions and acquire retail gold locations with all the required utilities pre-plumbed in?.

Is it an opportunity in waiting for brave and bold councils to really get behind local commerce, which includes anything from artisan markets, local food and beverage markets, and a place to encourage and experience retail startup ideas including some of those clever digital companies who themselves are leading the way?

I'm not talking about more of those low rent indoor markets, clearly they also have a fantastic place in bringing the the local community together and tapping into the eager retail entrepreneur ambitions to run their own shop so to speak .

I'm talking about a reinvention of the 'experience' of retail!

Being in any kind of business is always a tricky thing, and traditional retail is of course encumbered with many upfront fixed cost before a new store is opened and a penny even goes into the tills. The only key variable cost they can dial up/down is the management and staff needed to run them, so when times get tough retailers dial down the one thing that actually creates their key point of difference, the front line people who represent the experience of the brand.

What does today's consumer do when they've visited the Festive Christmas markets, food halls, festivals, and artisan markets, they post pictures of what/where they are eating, who they are with and in an socially digital instant give it a free good/bad review, all on social media to their friends, family and work colleagues - which in my opinion is a multiplier effect for all concerned and greeted as free, non intrusive and authentic publicity.

These people without knowing it are 'micro-influencers' in their own right, and with the right training and support can become a huge Superpower for innovative retailers of all kinds, just like the ones who are already posting about their visit to that local food hall, food festival and artisan market mentioned earlier, now that's what I call 'experiential innovation!

This difference is not just based on what you sell, what price you sell it at, and where you sell it, but most important its about 'how you sell it to me' and that last bit is the 'how you make me feel' moment, and this is where really great retailers (on/offline) create a huge competitive edge.

I've been involved in eCommerce since the very early days, and during that time I've seen a lot of brands come and go, along with a whole new set of companies geared up to service the sector. Whilst writing this piece it got me thinking about whether or not eCommerce along with other 'distance shopping' initiatives has unintentionally made us become distant with our customers?.

The whole industry spends most of its time obsessing about ways to get customers to the eCommerce website, ensuring that the onsite journey is easy, and hoping that journey turns into a commercial sale. So much so that most websites (mobile and Apps) try and automate everything in order they can reduce any real human interaction which in turn can keep cost down, but is it at the cost of commoditizing a void between real human interaction without them building a tangible relationship?.

Mail order is a 100+ year old industry, and the basis of every eCommerce business is founded along the same principles that's known as 'distance shopping'.

Back in the day if we didn't shop via mail order we had little choice other than to go to a physical retail outlet to make that purchase, and we took for granted the experiential aspect of those visits. There was something tangible and comforting about breathing in the store environment, especially at Christmas, we could see other customers, hear what they were looking to buy, or listen to questions being posed to the store staff, and hear the excitement in children's voices at the thought of getting 'that present'. 

We tapped into all our senses and let's be honest it wasn't that bad.

For many people it was a full day out which might have included treats for the kids, or a lunch appointment with friends.

If you went to visit a 'Christmas Market' this festive season you'll know what I mean.

With the huge growth in eCommerce I think we've subconsciously become disconnected from the customer, every bit of evidence suggest that whilst brands obsess about getting us to the site and then to the checkout in a friction-less manner they've forgotten to 'listen'. Its all very 'functional', it's bland, it's solitary, and it's managed to isolate brand and customer.

'Out of adversity comes opportunity' as the saying goes!

Herein also lies a huge untapped opportunity for all those pure-play (online) retailers to leverage the brand in a way that enhances the 'touch/feel/smell' experience that physical retail delivers by starting with a 'pop-up' shop inside one of these out of date department stores, what about adding a floor for 'click, collect, and return' for busy time poor, but town centre based people shopping with online retailers. What about 'live streaming' with real customers talking about the product or service - personalise the physical experience, make it about me FFS!.

Every channel of retail today should be embracing social media, not to advertise and promote themselves, audiences are turning away from this in droves, but to help the consumer decide 'why' they should choose to shop with them, and via which channel.

The High St doesn't need your tea, love and sympathy - it needs tangible and affordable consumer aligned solutions.

Whether you’re opening up a pop-up store or establishing a permanent location, you need to deliver a memorable tangible experience. Getting a primarily digital audience to physically try your product multiplies the potential for sales. It simultaneously provides customers with the personal interactions they crave. 

With so many digitally native brands opening up brick-and-mortar locations, it’s clear that retail isn’t yet pushing up daisies. It has, however, evolved. Traditional retailers that want to evolve with it should take a hint from the dominant digital players. Gone are the days when retail locations were just sites for making sales. Instead, they play an important role in marketing a brand.

About the author;

Stephen Sumner is classed as a 'Chief Change Maker', International Retail Visionary Business & Brand Growth Expert. A C-Suite International Commercial Omni-Channel Retail Marketing innovative and visionary 'Digital Entrepreneur'.

Website; stephensumner.net