According to a countywide poll, Britons believe that their local high streets offer an inappropriate mix of stores.
Research has found that the landscape of the British high street has changed dramatically, with beauty salons and unlicensed cafes replacing banks and clothing shops.
A decades-long makeover of the high street has led to a significant increase in the number of hairdressers and nail bars, with their numbers more than doubling in big towns and cities since 2010, according to policy research agency Public First.
Reporting on the changing dynamics of the high street from 2010 to 2023, the agency revealed that nearly 2.5 new hairdressers or beauty salons have opened every day over the last 13 years.
Conversely, there has been a sharp decline in the number of banks available on high streets.
Researchers stated, “In terms of businesses leading the way in disappearing from our high streets, the number of banks has declined by over 60 percent since 2010 as online banking reduces the need for many of us to go to a branch.”
To address bank branch closures, the government has set minimum expectations on banks to protect cash-based services.
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Under the policy, people or businesses who want to withdraw or deposit cash should be able to find a bank providing the service no further than three miles away.
Financial Pressures
An analysis of official data on registered businesses in the UK revealed a decline in the number of clothing stores in urban areas, dropping by about 3,600 across major towns and cities.
Meanwhile, non-store retailing businesses, through mail or internet orders, have experienced the most significant increase.
The research noted that these types of businesses are less likely to be on the high streets of towns and cities, but their growth reflects the changing way people shop, often to the detriment of high streets.
Additionally, the number of unlicensed restaurants and cafes has more than doubled, reflecting the rise of coffee and foodie culture in Britain.
Researchers attribute this evolution of the high street to the increase in online shopping and banking, as well as the financial pressures of the cost-of-living crisis on consumers.
The post-COVID-19 surge in inflation and interest rates has added to the financial strains of keeping high street shops open. Coupled with the rise in remote working post-pandemic, these changes have taken a toll on town and city centers.
High inflation has driven up business rates, a tax that local authorities in the UK charge on non-residential properties, resulting in an increase in shop vacancies and the decline of high streets, according to the British Property Federation.
Regions and Public Sentiment
Researchers discovered a north-south divide in the per capita number of takeaways, with towns and cities in the north having more takeaway businesses per 10,000 people compared to those in the south.
The report found that a majority of the public believes that the changing face of the high street has left them with an inappropriate mix of stores.
According to the poll, 51 percent of adults believe their local high street is in decline, while a third of respondents feel it isn’t changing much.
Over 40 percent of adults feel there aren’t enough banks or clothing stores on their high street, while more than 30 percent think there are too many charity shops and nail bars.
Furthermore, Conservative Party supporters are most likely to perceive high streets as declining, compared to Labour and Liberal Democrat voters.
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