As a previous article advanced, there is a petition for a
‘Shop Out to Help Out’ scheme to support UK
high street retailers. However, there are diverging opinions on the matter.
Some argue that at the moment, all forms of assistance and
support should be welcomed and embraced. Nonetheless, this scheme will only
offer a short-term financial boost
and there is much more than that to be done. According to an expert from the government’s
High Street Taskforce, to sustain longer term recovery and growth, it is essential
to turn “high streets into destinations with a mix of retail and hospitality [to
ensure that] shoppers want to go to for the mix”. The aim is to attract and
engage customers across social platforms to drive them towards local physical
stores rather than e-commerce outlets. She wants to generate ‘localism on
steroids’ so that clients are convinced that brick and mortar stores can serve
their needs.
Dr Eleonora Pantano, retail marketing expert at the
University of Bristol is in agreement. She advances that retailers need more
financial support to boost their business. This is because they have to
transform themselves from being just a place to shop so that customers can
enjoy a memorable experience. This will give them a competitive advantage over
e-commerce businesses and will increase their chances at customer loyalty. She
says, “When the Shop
Out to Help Out money runs out, shoppers won’t return unless there
is something special to keep them coming back”.
Phot credit: eduardivieiraphoto from Pixabay
High street merchants need more help
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