The high street in the UK’s towns and cities is important for local communities and local economies. But rents are rising. And spaces are sitting empty. We’ve lost a lot of the diversity in our high streets. Over the decades the high streets have struggled and lost business to out of town retail parks where big brands pay high prices for massive spaces and sometimes mediocre offerings. How can we revitalise the high street?
“Working as part of our architecture practice, Shape Design Studio, and drawing on our experience working on community buildings, urban masterplans and shared infrastructure. We’ve come to believe that the high street would need to operate very differently in order to survive and thrive sustainably” says Jonathan Beeby, director at Shape Furniture. “By working as part of a collective, such as Blue Patch, which connects high quality independent businesses, there is an opportunity for joined up, circular thinking, for communal working and a collaborative means of production and retail.”
An example of an independent is Make Holt in Norfolk. It is a lifestyle store showcasing over 50 independent makers from the local area. “Make Holt in Norfolk is an excellent example of a makers shop and I think there should be one like it in every town” says Nicola Cliffe of Madder Cutch & Co. “If more small businesses were visible and available to everyday consumers on the high street it would certainly help promote sustainability. Most shoppers only get to see the brands and mass produced items that can afford to be on the high street. I am in a large town that thrives because we have some nice individual shops, but most of these are on back streets and lanes as high street rents are not accessible to them.”
Blue Patch founder Jane Langley thinks “The high street is absolutely ripe for transformation.”
“Blue Patch is a community for sustainable UK businesses (and not-for-profit) and we are looking for shopkeepers to showcase and sell our talented UK designers and makers who create brilliant things in workshops across the country. The High St can spring back to life, full of beautiful, sustainable, well made things and this includes information hubs and community workshops too.
When a purchase is made locally (in the UK), the tax and income pays into our economy. If we want our economy to flourish we need to address the crazy rents and throw open the doors to imaginative, discerning shopkeepers and shoppers that really know what quality looks like and have worked out that large marketing budgets do not equate to quality products – in fact the opposite.”
Angus Ross agrees that rental rates are an issue. “The rates for retail space on the high street would be too high for us to consider taking on. We do have a showroom space in our workshop that serves as a selling space but as we mostly make to commission or at least to order it isn’t really like a shop. It is only open workshop hours or by appointment. Sourcing directly from designer/makers is an alternative to the high street. However staffing and paying for a shop on the high street is not viable for the vast majority of designer/makers.”
High rentals are a challenge for seasonal businesses too. “The future of the high street is complicated, environmentally it makes sense for people to shop locally but it requires a big change for consumers, landlords and businesses” says Treea Cracknell, The London Flower Farmer.
“Being a seasonally lead business we don’t have flowers in the winter months, which is fine as we are a farm and we use the quiet months to do the big projects needed for expansion. Our seasonality would make covering the costs of a high street shop unfeasible with the way current high street overheads are structured.
If we ever did decide to have a presence on the high street it would probably be so we could provide our customers with more classes so it would be more about providing experiences rather than a retail opportunity. We encourage everyone to buy locally when it comes to flowers. We do provide flowers to our local area but manage to do so without having a shop, we either deliver or customers come and collect orders. More florists would be great, we can supply them!”
That’s where community plays a part. “At AARVEN we love being part of Margate’s vibrant, artistic community. Our regular customers provide us with so much valuable feedback on our designs and it’s a wonderful opportunity to engage customers with the stories of our global family of artisans. Having a physical presence on the high street also allows us the opportunity to give back by running events and fundraising for local charities.” Amy Fleuriot-Reade, Co-founder and Designer at AARVEN
Lottie Davies of Coldharbour Lights says “Just as the provenance of materials is becoming increasingly important to consumers, so too is the journey the final product makes. Across the UK, we see a growing appetite for locally made designer goods. We have a perfect opportunity to harness the energy and appeal of sustainably made UK products to revitalise our dwindling high streets.
My fellow designer-makers at Blue Patch are great at pooling resources and skills to create opportunities for connecting with people. We thrive on our networks. It’s what our high streets were once built on. They need a return to sustainable networks. Give us a fallow high street shop and we will make it buzz with life.”
That buzz of life and personality is what is missing from many of the big brands. “Small-scale creative businesses inject a distinct and irreplaceable vitality into the high street, particularly in the realms of contemporary and interior design. The handcrafted nature of their products ensures a unique touch and also fosters a sense of authenticity. Buyers, in choosing these items, are not merely making a purchase; they are investing in the vision and craftsmanship of a specific maker, designer, or artist. This support for small businesses becomes a tangible connection, allowing consumers to engage with the story behind the creation – the artist’s inspiration, processes, and the journey of each piece.
While there may be a price differential compared to mass-produced items, the high street’s current uniformity and lack of character make the investment in handcrafted designs all the more valuable. Moreover, businesses like bobandalf, by embracing circular design principles, contribute to sustainability by reusing existing materials. In essence, these small-scale ventures offer a breath of fresh air, infusing the high street with soul, individuality, and a clearer conscience for conscientious consumers” say Claire and Nicky (Claire West and Nicola Skinner) at bobandalf
Mandie Beuzeval of Beuzeval Furniture adds “We need to mix things up more. UK brands like Blue Patch should be seen as a norm on the high street. This gives people the chance to consciously consider what they buy and invest in UK brands that are sustainable in material and design.”
“I believe we have all become a little despondent regarding our experience as a customer in the typical British high street. Mass produced, commercial brands sourcing from overseas with little regard to our planet and environment, I feel that we are never truly sure of where our purchases are sourced, how they are created or the materials used. The experience often feels soulless and uninspiring.
To have an outlet of inspirational, artisan, brands (such as those in the Blue Patch family) where you have absolute confidence in the values and ethics behind each product from the moment you walk through the door would inject a breath of fresh air to the highstreet. Products that are different, hand crafted, British and environmentally conscious; and to know the journey behind the creative process provides assurance, engages us emotionally, and makes us feel good about making an informed and positive purchase. Suddenly the high street experience shifts from the expected norm, laced with environmental doubt to a journey of discovery, inspiration, confidence and delight. What is not to love about that!” says Lee Lovett of Soho Lighting
That feeling is important to consumers. ‘Going out’ shopping, experiencing products first hand, and interacting with advisors is one of the things we missed during lockdown.
Edward Bulmer, founder at Edward Bulmer Natural Paint provides a service in his shop in Pimlico. “Convenient as it is, the internet cannot replace every part of the relationship we seek with our customers. We see paint more as a service than a product and having a high street presence we can both offer that service – helping customers to choose colours – and also gauge what makes our customers tick and how we can help them further. When you are ‘selling your soul’ as we are to try to rid the world of paint pollution, it is really crucial to be able to engage with people on a personal level.”
One final comment from Jonathan Beeby at Shape on what a revitalised high street might need to be sustainable.
“I believe the resurgent appreciation of British Craft presents an opportunity to revitalise the high street. As a furniture maker, I have found that there will always be a need for people to see, touch and experience craft in a way that is not possible online. However, opening a shop is daunting for any small business. It is a huge financial investment that relies on constant operation and regular turnover. This often results in unnecessary production of stock, flash sales and ultimately a lot of waste.
To revitalise the high street and for it to operate sustainably, it should include waste centres, where materials can be recycled and reused. Tools, libraries and workshops where resources can be shared. Pop-up retail spaces, short term lets and shared display areas that can accommodate the ebb and flow of a small scale enterprise.
The high street could cease to be a place where you purchase mass produced goods but somewhere to interact with the craft and craftspeople behind them, creating a more interactive experience, a wider appreciation of where products come from and an altogether more communal, and sustainable way of living.”
Plenty of food for thought about how a revitalised high street might work for small businesses, be more sustainable and more enjoyable for those who are shopping. Shopping locally is better for the environment and the local economy. Use our sustainable business directory to find other sustainable makers.
