In the blue corner – boasting an impressive

retail floor area of 154,002m², over 300

shops, and a cinema.

The challenger………..

The out of Town Shopping Centre

In the red corner - with a record that is second to

none; undefeated for over a decade. The reliable, the

dependable, the current and undisputed retail

outlet of the world…….

The High Street

Out of Town Shopping Centre

Vs The High Street

Who is your money on?

Why?

The Big Shopping ShiftLearning Objectives1. To understand the change in the

retailing hierarchy2. To know why out of town

shopping centres became popular

3. To identify the effects that OOTSC’s had on the local high street and think of ways to solve these problems.

Really Old High Street Shops (fancy goods?)

OOTSC Shops (where you go now!)

New High Street shops (Kings Heath Now?)

Old High Street Shops (M&S tastic)

The Retailing Hierarchy

Corner Shop (Convenience Goods)

Local Store / Independent Retailer

Small Supermarket / Small national brand

Large Supermarket / Large national brand

Flagship Store / Huge warehouse store

Box Mall (loads of big metal boxes)

Out of Town Shopping Centre

Why did OOTSC’s Spring up?

Problems?

Short Answer Q• Did the development of OOTSC’s have an effect on

local high streets and areas?• Shoppers preferred OOTSC – leisure, convenience,

quality, choice.• Struggle of independent retailers to compete with

national brands• Inclusion of daily goods in same location (retail parks

attached to OOTSC) annoyed local grocery stores• Industry to retail employment base? Does it work?• Think about local population-can they afford

department store prices?• So what do the struggling high streets need to do?

On the ropes!It looks like it could be all over for The High Street. The Out of Town Shopping Centre has unleashed a barrage of blows. A lethal combination of cheap parking, top brand stores, entertainment, restaurants and shops under one roof has left the old champion staring defeat in the face. How can it come back from here?

Our "Manifesto for the High Street" is 10-point plan setting out what the Government, local authorities and retailers need to do, working together to breathe new life into the UK’s shopping streets.But we also want to hear from you. What else should be in the manifesto?

1. Provide free town centre parking for shoppers Councils need to recognise the role of safe and free - or at the very least affordable - parking to encourage people back into shops. If there are charges, income should be ring-fenced to benefit shoppers and retailers.

2. Put a freeze on additional taxes on shopsEveryone knows times are tough, but retailers should not expect additional taxes. Now is not the time for Business Rates Supplements or Community Infrastructure Levies.

3. Take retail crime seriouslyLow-level crime not only makes the life of retail staff a misery, but drives away shoppers. Through local partnerships between police, retailers and local authorities, and backed up by the courts, a zero-tolerance approach to crime and disorder is vital.

4. Manage infrastructure works betterRoadworks have caused mayhem in town and city centres. Roadworks must be done in consultation with retailers and can’t be allowed to affect prime shopping areas for extended periods, because they won’t bounce back.

5. Compel landlords to contribute to BIDsBusiness Improvement Districts have overall been positive, but it’s unfair that retailers are compelled to fund them but those who own the shops aren’t. If landlords get a share of the benefits, they should share in the costs.

http://www.retail-week.com/what-else-should-be-in-the-manifesto/13.thread

6. Reinvent the high street as a multichannel destinationEtail retains a fundamental handicap: goods tend to be delivered when customers are at work. Click-and-collect is growing fast but there must be a market for a new genre of high street operations allowing parcels to be collected in the evening and at weekends.

7. Create an identityTown centres should be the centre of a town’s social and creative life - after all, you can’t create much of a buzz on a retail park. Creating an identity and using events to reinforce it is a vital point of difference, and councils and town centre managers need to take the lead.

8. Work in partnership with indiesThe greatest thing about the best high streets is their independents, so why shouldn’t there be collaboration within a town to help each other along? If a distinctive offer attracts shoppers back, everyone benefits.

9. Clear up the clutterKeep it simple: litter bins and benches are good, forests of signs aren’t. Ban the chuggers hassling shoppers, and if you can keep traffic out of the way of shoppers, so much the better- starting with the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street.

10. Keep an eye on thingsLocal councils should be compelled to carry out an annual healthcheck of their town centre, benchmarking against other towns on data such as vacancy rates. That way any decline can be nipped in the bud.

http://www.retail-week.com/what-else-should-be-in-the-manifesto/13.thread

TaskRead the information sheet about how Touchwood

has breathed life into Solihull High Street then jot down some things that would be needed to

design the perfect 2010 High Street

• Think of what locals need, want and can afford• What could make a high street different from an

OOTSC?• Sensible, viable options only please!!• Also think of what is to become of those out of

work-is there a way of re-skilling them for the current employment market?

The Comeback!What’s this? A

late flurry of punches from the journeyman champion has shocked the crowd! Has the high street being playing rope-a-dope all this time? With new strategies it has reinvented itself and is competing with the brash young challenger!

Now it’s on!

Solihull High Street Dudley High Street

We need to ask the question: Can a high street such as Dudley High Street compete against a OOTSC?

If Dudley has above average Unemployment rates should the local

high street be focussing on their needs rather

than the same needs of people who would go to

Merry Hill?

Objective Check

1. Do I understand the change in the retailing hierarchy over time?

2. Do I know why out of town shopping centres became popular?

3. Am I able to identify the effects that OOTSC’s had on the local high street?

4. Can I suggest strategies and solutions to combat the problems of OOTSC’s?