How can High Streets compete with Out of Town Shopping Centres.

3. Fight Night ! In the blue corner – boasting an impressive retail floor area of 154,002m², over 300 shops, and a cinema. The challenger………..

4. The out of Town Shopping Centre

5. Fight Night ! 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…….

6. The High Street

7. Fight Night ! Out of Town Shopping Centre Vs The High Street

8. Who is your money on? Why?

10. 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)

12. Why did OOTSC’s Spring up?

13. Problems?

15. 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? Fight Night !

16. 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 shops Everyone 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 seriously Low-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 better Roadworks 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 BIDs Business 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

17. 6. Reinvent the high street as a multichannel destination Etail 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 identity Town 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 indies The 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 clutter Keep 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 things Local 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

19. 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! Fight Night !

20. Solihull High Street Dudley High Street

21. 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?