Improving digital engagement could make high streets billions
A government report has stated that high streets could increase footfall and make billions of pounds by embracing new technology and improving digital engagement with shoppers.
The Digital High Street Report 2020, initiated by the government and the Future High Streets Forum has said that high street businesses are losing out by not interacting with modern ‘tech savvy’ customers.
The report’s author, John Walden, chief executive of the Home Retail Group and chairman of the Future High Streets Forum, said: “the digital revolution is arguably the most disruptive factor affecting our communities, but its effects are not often considered central to high street revitalisation.”
“The goal of the Digital High Street 2020 is simply to restore the vibrancy and sense of community that has characterised the UK’s great high streets of the past, but in the context of rapid change caused by the digital revolution.”
The report proposes a five year plan to improve high street footfall, including the creation of the UK’s first High Street Digital Health Index, which would act as a method of analysing the digital health of towns and councils.
The index would rate high streets on their use and application of technology, including broadband and mobile data coverage, public access to WiFi hotspots, retail attraction and footfall, smartphone penetration and ecommerce transactions.
High streets minister Penny Mordaunt said: “High streets contribute billions of pounds to the economy and we know digital is the way forward, so it is vitally important for traders and town centres to keep up with the way people shop.”
The progress of 1,200 UK towns will be tracked, while regional programmes will enforce the teaching of basic digital skills and promote the hiring of digital apprentices.
Commenting on the report, director of Google UK, Peter Fitzgerald, said: “The vast majority of UK shoppers research online before they buy from a store. This means that every business is a digital business because every consumer is a digital consumer.”
The report acknowledges that “the recommendations are ambitions, but appropriate in the light of the challenges facing our high streets,” suggesting that there is plenty of hard work ahead to make UK high streets thrive again.
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