A MAJOR study into the state of the British high street has hailed Loughborough as a shining example of a town enhancing its experience for shoppers and revellers.
Researchers at Southampton University conducted a major study on the change of the high street, which was commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Loughborough and Mansfied both feature in the report as good examples of best practice.
A study provided by Cathryn Hart, a senior lecturer in retailing at Loughborough University, also featured in the report, which showed Loughborough people’s shopping habits.
The big attractions were Primark in Market Place followed by Next and Argos in The Rushes.
Areas not visited so frequently were parts of High Street, Baxter Gate and Regents Place Retail Park.
The University of Southampton Retail Research Group discovered there has been a “fundamental shift” in what consumers mean by “convenience” shopping.
It says that throughout the 1980s and 1990s this was defined as one-stop shopping in big out-of-town developments but increasingly convenience means “topping up” the groceries in local stores.
The study also concludes there has been a “modest resurgence” in specialist retailers such as “artisanal bakers, butchers and tea and coffee merchants” in high streets that were independent stores and stand alongside big high street names.
The Southampton study suggests that the long-term shifts towards leisure, health and beauty services – such as nail salons, hair dressers and gyms – will continue and spending on “recession-related” retail, like pawnbrokers and betting shops, will slow.
It says: “The market town of Loughborough is an example of a Business Improvement District (BID) team working with researchers at its university to use consumer insights to drive town centre strategy.
“For example: identifying opportunities for a Business and Enterprise meeting hub, centralised retail training involving students as digital advisors and using shopper ‘hotspot’ information to re-route pedestrians.”
Jonathan Hale, BID manager, which represents town centre businesses, told the Echo:
“It is important for towns to understand their catchment area and their consumers.
“The research (from Loughborough University) has told us a lot about key attractions and how people move around.
“We need to look at better signage at Churchgate to attract people up there and art installations to draw attention to independent streets.”