Traders warn of online threat to high street
Sidmouth business owners have told shoppers 'use us or lose us' as they face the threat of online retail.They argue that the practice of seeking out physical objects before looking for a better price on the internet was unsustainable and harms local industry.
However, Stephen Kendall-Torry, chairman of Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce, said "There's been a backlash - suppliers are realising they are better off working with 1,000 small businesses rather than a few who don't make any profit."
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And this is a concern from Guernsey:
Online shopping major threat to Guernsey retail « This Is Guernsey
to Derbyshire:
DNCC - Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Chamber of [...] (via noodls) / Online threat to High Street shops
Which follows on from an alarming report in the national press:
Local shops set to bear brunt of online shopping growth
guardian.co.uk,
The growth of online shopping could lead to the closure of one in five high street stores by 2018, according to a report.
A study from the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) says that over the next five years the number of UK retail stores will drop from 281,930 to 220,000 if current trends continue.
In addition, there could be 316,000 job losses in the same period due to what the CRR describes as the "growing retail crisis".
The share of consumer spending going to high street stores is falling – it was 50% in 2000 and is predicted to drop to 40.2% by next year, according to the CRR. Meanwhile, online retail continues to grow and is predicted to account for 21.5% of all retail sales by 2018.
The report, Retail Futures 2018, states that consumer spending has increased by 12% since 2006 but operating costs for retailers have increased by 20%.
Its author, Professor Joshua Bamfield, the CRR director, said: "Customers now shop in multiple ways, checking a store's website, visiting stores, reading reviews and making online price comparisons with smart phones whilst shopping.
"Retailers have to make clear and strategic responses to the changing pattern of how consumers shop, which includes tactical decisions about store numbers and locations. They also need to fully integrate these physical stores with their websites, smart phone offerings and social media community coherently.
"Going forward, I think retail stores will remain an important, although smaller, part of the shopping process as online retail continues to grow."
Online retail to hit the high street, as its revealed one in five shops 'could close by 2018' - Home News - UK - The Independent
One in five shops to close by 2018, warns report - Telegraph
And this in turn follows on from the Portas review from last year:
www.bis.gov.uk/assets/BISCore/business-sectors/docs/p/11-1434-portas-review-future-of-high-streets.pdf
Portas High Streets still struggling one year on
In Nelson, Lancashire, more businesses closed than opened last year
Ten of the 12 government-funded "Portas Pilot" towns have seen a fall in the number of occupied retail units.
They were awarded a share of a £1.2m fund, government support and access to the retail guru Mary Portas.
The High Street Innovation Fund, launched a year ago, was part of the government's response to Ms Portas' review of the High Street.
Results have been mixed. Shop vacancies have gone down in seven towns, but more shops overall have closed than opened.
The Department for Communities and Local Government says the pilots are breathing new life into the towns.
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1 comment:
Hello can you tell me are Victoria Cleaners a coin op launderette- if
not can you tell me if Sidmouth has such a place thanks? A friend is
going to stay there and would like to know.
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