{"id":2418,"date":"2018-09-21T22:25:14","date_gmt":"2018-09-21T22:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/is-this-the-secret-to-high-street-success\/"},"modified":"2018-09-21T22:25:14","modified_gmt":"2018-09-21T22:25:14","slug":"is-this-the-secret-to-high-street-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/is-this-the-secret-to-high-street-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Is this the secret to High Street success?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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<\/p>\n

\"Altrincham<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

The ongoing struggle of our High Streets is a familiar tale. <\/p>\n

Slowing consumer spending, online competition and increasing costs means the number of empty shops has grown. <\/p>\n

Some well-known brands such as Maplins and Toys R Us have disappeared altogether – leaving yet more holes. <\/p>\n

Yet one town – Altrincham in Cheshire – has managed to stage a remarkable turnaround. Could it prove to be an example for other struggling towns across the UK? <\/p>\n

In 2010, the Cheshire town had one of the worst shop vacancy rates in the country. <\/p>\n

Eight years on, the percentage of empty shops has been slashed from 30% to 9.7%. <\/p>\n

What is its secret?<\/p>\n

Most credit the ambitious regeneration of the town’s old market, into a new leisure and eating-out venue for turning around the town’s fortunes.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n Nick Johnson says it worked with people to make the market attractive
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nick Johnson, director of market operations at Altrincham Market, took over the running of the town’s market five years ago and turned it into a haven for middle class foodies. <\/p>\n

The project has had a transformational impact on the town centre. <\/p>\n

“I’ve spent a lifetime in property, changing other peoples places from Plymouth to Leeds and I realised the place that was most in need of change was the place in which I lived. <\/p>\n

“Rather than use property we worked with people to make that change.”<\/p>\n

Even on a wet, windy autumn evening the market is pleasingly busy. <\/p>\n

Customers are prepared to brave the weather to browse the stargazer lilies and truckles of cheese. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n Jeremy Jackon sells cheese and butter at the market
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shopping here is an experience which is why traders like Jeremy Jackson were quick to come on board. <\/p>\n

Mr Jackson, who sells cheese and butter from his Wintertarn Diary, says the market is “tapping into people wanting something different, something better.”<\/p>\n

“You don’t need a revolution you need to evolve things and see where it goes.<\/p>\n

“I think we are in danger at the moment of becoming a monochrome society and you want characters and you want something different.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n There are “no big knickers” at this market, says Abigail Hitchen Hilsley
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Abigail Hitchen Hilsley sells handmade furniture and homewares at the market, but is currently manning the coffee stall: Market House Coffee.<\/p>\n

She says every trader is carefully chosen with no “big knickers” and out-of-date crisps. <\/p>\n

“That’s good for everyone.”<\/p>\n

She says that the market is “always buzzing”.<\/p>\n

“You get lots of yummy mummies with their babies all out and about during the week and at night time it picks up and becomes really lively. <\/p>\n

“Trade is really good for everyone, because it’s such a good variety. No one does the same things.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n Altrincham market is busy despite the rain
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Altrincham blueprint is one that is being eyed by other towns and cities, though not all have been swayed.<\/p>\n

Professor Cathy Parker, from Manchester Metropolitan University’s business school, cautions that this kind of model “will work in some places but not everywhere”.<\/p>\n

“It’s catering for a certain type of consumer and people with enough free time and disposable income.”<\/p>\n

There have been many projects aimed at turning around ailing High Streets. <\/p>\n

Most agree success depends on delivering an experience that’s worth leaving the comfort of our front rooms. <\/p>\n

Altrincham’s rapid turnaround shows one way of achieving this. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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Source<\/a> by [author_name]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The ongoing struggle of our High Streets is a familiar tale. Slowing consumer spending, online competition and increasing costs means the number of empty shops has grown. Some well-known brands such as Maplins and Toys R Us have disappeared altogether – leaving yet more holes. Yet one town – Altrincham in Cheshire – has managed … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2419,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2418\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}