Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to present and critically discuss the findings of the ESRC-funded HS2020 project. The aim is to discuss the retail-led change that has happened to the High Streets that participated to the project that, in some cases, is revolutionary and is leading to the reinvention of the place. To do so reference is made to various retail change theories discussing both institutional and consumer-led change.Design/methodology/approachThis is a discussion paper on the findings of the HS2020 project.FindingsThe major finding reported in this paper is that the reinvention is a natural learning process that involves the comprehension of change and the development of knowledge that will lead to the reinvention of the High Street.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of the research are based on data that were collected from a total of ten towns across the UK.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests that to reinvent the High Street the stakeholders that are involved in the place decision-making processes they should embrace the change as a natural development and try to understand and learn from it rather than resisting to it. The HS2020 project provides a comprehensive guide of the areas that change can be managed and if it happens it can facilitate the reinvention.Originality/valueThe paper is relevant to the academic community, as it offers insight to the theories of retail change, and to the practitioners, as it provides evidence as to how to deal with the change that happens to the High Streets.
Highlights
We argue that the retailers’ contribution to the extensive change of the British High Streets and Town Centres since the great recession of 2008 led to examples of reinvention and the emergence of places that are inclusive and meaningful for all the stakeholders
In the early 2010’s the future of the highstreets re-emerged as a political priority for the British Government, for example as Mary Portas (2011, p.2) introduces her review of the British HS she notes that she “was asked by the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to conduct an independent review into the state of our high streets”, as well as a priority for the research councils
As a result of the prioritisation of the scholarly research of future of the HS the Institute of Place Management of the Manchester Metropolitan University has been awarded a research grant by the ESRC who was concerned about the impact changes to retailing in the UK were having on town and city centres
Summary
We argue that the retailers’ contribution to the extensive change of the British High Streets and Town Centres since the great recession of 2008 led to examples of reinvention and the emergence of places that are inclusive and meaningful for all the stakeholders. The paper will start with a review of the literature on the concept of the retail change followed by a review of the literature on the evolution of the High Streets and Town. Centres as it is driven by the market forces. Conclusions will be drawn and policy making implications will be discussed, in addition to and some directions for future research that will be presented
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