UK high streets are facing the quietest Christmas since the credit crunch, according to forecasts. A combination of low consumer confidence caused by Brexit, more agile, online competitors and shoppers increasingly opting to buy experiences instead of products are just some of the reasons cited as being responsible for the shift in spending habits.
This year has been particularly bleak in Britain as well known names such as Toys R Us, Maplin, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Evans Cycles and Mothercare have been either shrunk or terminated, with 85,000 retail jobs lost in the first nine months of 2018. Beyond retail, many towns are having to fight to save their local library, pub, nursery or community centre – the places that have always fulfilled an important social function as well as a commercial one.
In this monthly podcast, Guardian supporters share their experiences with a panel of journalists and industry experts. This episode focuses on the demise of the high street as we know it. Supporters speak of their frustration over the lack of community, joy and productivity in their high street, as well as the loss of part-time, low-wage jobs, and why there has been so little coverage of this change and how it might affect women. Other questions we put to the panel include: What can be done to draw younger generations to town centres and indeed should we be looking at alternative high street models? What responsibility do we as individuals have to participate in the life of our communities? Should we endeavour to reverse the onward march of convenient online consumerism?
Joining host and executive editor for membership at the Guardian Lee Glendinning is Nick Johnson, founder and Director of Operations at Altrincham Market, Sarah Butler and Zoe Wood, both retail correspondents at the Guardian and John Domokos, video journalist, co-creator of the Guardian’s Made in Stoke and Anywhere But Westminster series.
If you enjoy this pod, and want to catch up with the rest of the series, you can listen to discussions on topics ranging from extinction and nationalism to the rise of veganism here. Guardian supporters can also suggest future topics for discussion by emailing us at weneedtotalkabout@theguardian.com
