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Page . 30 West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016 Kerching Retail

West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

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Page 1: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

Page � .30

West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016Kerching Retail

Page 2: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

IntroductionBased on an independent review of 120 business premises in West Bridgford town centre and the Saturday Farmers’ Market, this report highlights our perspective of current trading in West Bridgford. Furthermore, we have made recommendations on how trading could be improved and maximised.

This review excludes a detailed study of retailers outside of the designated town centre, as identified by Rushcliffe Borough Council. Musters Road, Loughborough Road, Melton Road, and Radcliffe Road were only viewed and considered for their impact on the town centre.

Factors such as presentation, product mix, offering and available demographic data of the local shopper

have been considered when putting together these proposals.

We have avoided romantic ideals that may be beyond the scope or budget. Instead we have focused on practical and pragmatic action that can be taken to further improve the retail offer and attract more customers to the area.

Approx 10 specific recommendations have been made within this report.

Corin Birchall, Kerching Retail Ltd

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For use when the totalwidth of the logo <50mm

For use when the totalwidth of the logo >50mm

Kerching Retail Contact Information:

Address: Kerching House, 8 Allfrey Close, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, LE17 4FH

Email: [email protected]: +44 7769 115366Web: www.kerchingretail.comTwitter: twitter.com/kerchingretailFacebook: facebook.com/Kerchingretail

Product 4: Customer Service:

Change customer service in an area with kerching’s Unique solution.

Each customer is given a token when they buy and

express how they thought the service was.

Customer is king and gets to express how good there service is - shops get instant feedback.

Training programmes and packs to help retailers address results.

Page 3: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

West Bridgford Review

The Brief:To perform a review of all stores and evening trade businesses in West Bridgford Town Centre. Generate a clear picture of the opportunities for the town centre.

The review and subsequent report to include:• The trading landscape - standards of

retailing and evening economy• Traffic light system for traders (Red

needs urgent attention, Amber would benefit from business support, Green represents good retail practise and a potential beacon for the area.

• Points of focus required for subsequent training and development.

The exercise examined:

• Exterior presentation (signage, window frames, paintwork and any props)

• Window displays and quality of visual merchandising within it

• Interior presentation• Levels of street trading & whether

acceptable - does the store spill into the road?

• Product mix, in terms of its uniqueness

• Pricing strategy in market, re. terms of premium or value offering

Scores attributed to each element give consideration for what is practical for that business sector i.e. take-away businesses are unlikely to have a dramatic window display with props, however could utilise vinyls and graphics effectively. The review does not give a specific score for the service received by customers, although any experience of the service may impact on the overall rating of a trader.

Overview of West Bridgford

West Bridgford is estimated to have a population of just over 41,000 . It is the 1

main centre of population in the borough of Rushcliffe.

According to West Bridgford Wire the mean age of local residents is 41.2, in-line with Nottinghamshire average, slightly higher than the UK average.2

Approximate social grades for the Rushcliffe borough local population illustrates a high proportion of AB (Managerial, administrative or professional) 39.19% compared to a UK average of 23% . C1 (Supervisory, 3

clerical and junior management) 31.78% are inline with UK averages 31%. C2 and DE skilled and unskilled manual workers are notably lower than UK averages.

http://www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/aboutus/aboutrushcliffe/1

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/population-estimates-for-uk--england-and-wales--scotland-and-northern-ireland/mid-2014/sty-ageing-of-the-uk-population.html2

www.ons.gov3

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Page 4: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

It is important to consider all of this background data when setting aspirations for the town centre. Disposable income levels and residents’ propensity for spending can help to create more realistic recommendations.

Summary of review:

Locations Reviewed: 116Multiples: 47Independents: 65Vacancies: 3 (2.6%)UK town vacancy average: 11.5%4

East Midlands average: 13.1%

Independent vs Multiple

The split of national retail and leisure outlets to smaller independents, shows a higher than average emphasis towards recognisable brands. There is a notable shift in the number of national retailers clustered as you enter the shared space pedestrianised area on Central Avenue. Independents are

more densely clustered on Gordon Road.

!

Leakage is the loss of catchment area spend to other shopping locations. Competing centres are a key driver of leakage from town centres, rather than internet spend as some might perceive. The very close proximity of 5

Nottingham City Centre is likely to be the primary source of leakage from local residents, particularly for comparison shopping.

Visually West Bridgford juggles a blend of architectural styles, spanning the decades. Victorian properties give the

town a historic feel, whilst modern purpose built properties give the town centre a contemporary and relevant feel.

Daytime & Evening Economies

West Bridgford has a strong evening economy, representing 17% of the town centres overall offer. Close to ¾ of the evening economy offer is restaurant, bars and pubs. Just over ¼ is takeaway businesses.

Anecdotally, we understand the evening economy to be very strong and popular with people across Nottingham.

West Bridgford

National

0 25 50 75 100

Multiple Independent

Local Data Company 2016 - 13th Retail Health Summit4

Investigating the Customer Experience of Town Centres, Loughborough University - Summary Report April 20135

Page � .3

33% 67%

42% 58%

Evening17%

Daytime83%

Takeaway28%

Pub17%

Bar/Dine56%

Page 5: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

The Retail layout

The retail centre in West Bridgford spans ½ a mile or 800m North to South from Fire and Ice to the Test Match pub. It is much narrower East to West spanning just 200m from the Natwest bank to M&S. The simplicity of the layout is advantageous. Sprawling town centres represent a challenge for shoppers, particularly those with mobility issues.

Central Avenue would be deemed the centre of the town, either consciously or subconsciously. Visual cues include:• Traffic restriction• Less dominance of traffic• Higher quality public realm• Shops flanking either side of the

road• Wider footpaths on either side of

the road• Closer proximity to car parks• Hanging baskets and occasional

flower beds

These factors have attracted many of the national brands synonymous with town centres.

Gordon Road resembles a typical urban town centre. • Part residential• Less emphasis on public realm and

street furniture• Narrower footpaths• Increasingly dominated by traffic• Increased street trading (product

displays spilling onto the street).

Few national retailers are attracted to Gordon Road. Instead it is predominately occupied by independents with some national charity retail.

The Retail MixThe retail mix differs along its two major shopping streets, Central Avenue and Gordon Road as previously highlighted. Central Avenue attracts more national retail brands, whilst Gordon Road houses more independent retailers and traders.

Roads on approach to and including Tudor Square house a mixture of banking, estate agents, strong independents and some national retail.

The pie chart illustrates the mix of retail across the town centre as a whole.

If we compare to Local Data Company national data, we can see how West Bridgford’s offer compares to the national average.

Page � .4

Leisure2%

Services25%

Retail27% Vacant

2%

Health & Beauty17%

Food & Drink27%

Page 6: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

We can interpret a lot of information from this data. Firstly that the vacancy rate in West Bridgford is very low indeed, compared to the UK average.

Convenience shopping is slightly lower than UK averages, which is principally grocery shopping and other essentials, perhaps indicating a capacity for more grocery retail in the town centre. Convenience shopping drives high frequency shopping during the week in a town centre. More apparent, however, is the marked differences to UK averages of comparison shopping and service outlets.

West Bridgford is dominated by service outlets at the expense of a traditional shopping outlets, typically convenience and comparison shopping. In particular we would draw attention to the lack of comparison shopping in the town centre. Local people are less likely to visit West Bridgford for clothes, electrical products, mobile phones or homeware.

In the past few years three retailing businesses, two of which would be a draw to the town centre, have converted to service and leisure. Face2Body has changed to Boots Opticians, Sleepers Electrical to

Carluccio’s and David Holmes Shoes to Cote Brasserie. Whilst the three businesses now in place are all desirable, it is a further shift away from retail and things to buy locally.

“We can surmise that West Bridgford town centre is predominately a service centre and leisure destination, over and above a retail destination.”

Page � .5

Leisure22%

Vacant2%

Services44%

Comparison25%

Convenience7%

West Bridgford

Leisure21%

Vacant11% Services

27%

Comparison33%

Convenience9%

UK Average

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Page � .6

Convenience

Comparison

Service

Leisure

Vacant

0 12.5 25 37.5 50

West Bridgford UK Average

Page 8: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

The Retail Mix

West Bridgford is home to a broad mix of retailing.  Below are some key findings.

120 business premises reviewed in West Bridgford Town centre.

15% of premises were occupied by hairdressers and beauticians, a total of 18 outlets. 1: 2,270 salon to residents ratio. This is a relatively high proportion of hair and beauty salons.

0% of premises were occupied by mobile phone or mobile phone accessory stores. This was unprecedented for a town of West Bridgford’s size.

3x fashion and fashion accessory stores are in West Bridgford = 2.5% of occupied units.

9% of premises were occupied by estate agents, a total of 11 units.

Other professional services accounted for another 11x units. Collectively professional services, baking and estate agents represent 23% of retail outlets.

The town has been resilient to ‘unfashionable retailers’ with no value retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops.

8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity shops become part of the towns attraction, Oakham being one example. We doubt this being the case in West bridgford based on the quality of the offer and products on display.

7x value retailers trade in West Bridgford town centre. Only 2 of the value retailers were national retailers. This is untypical of UK town centres.

1x florist is in West Bridgford town centre, although M&S and the Co-op also sell flowers.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

EST. AGENT

PRO. SERVICES

CHARITY

RESTAURANT

BANKING

CAFE

TAKEAWAY

GIFTS

GROCERY

OTHER SPECIALIST

ARTS

HOME

PHARMACY/HEALTH

PUB/BAR

FASHION

FOOD SPECIALIST

BETTING

NEWSAGENT

SHOES

FLORIST

0 4.5 9 13.5 18

The graph shows a full breakdown of outlets

by category.

Page 9: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

Comparison Towns The following charts show the retail mix by percentage of towns sharing a similar demographic to West Bridgford.

What is clear from this comparison is the disproportionately high number of service outlets in West Bridgford and the low number of comparison stores.

West Bridgford’s lack of vacant units out performed all other locations.

Page � .8

0

12.5

25

37.5

50

Comparison Convenience Leisure Service Vacant

West BridgfordBeaconsfieldHampsteadMarket HarboroughWinchesterWilmslow

Wes

t Brid

gfor

dBe

acon

sfiel

dH

amps

tead

Mar

ket H

arbo

roug

hW

inch

este

rW

ilmsl

ow

Wes

t Brid

gfor

dBe

acon

sfiel

dH

amps

tead

Mar

ket H

arbo

roug

hW

inch

este

rW

ilmsl

ow

Page 10: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

The Product Mix

Our review measured uniqueness and value of products on sale across the town.

A measure of whether products were unique and be a draw for the town, or equivalent/similar product, which are widely available elsewhere. This analysis revealed that most outlets had some product/service offering that had unique elements but the majority of product was available elsewhere.

!

An offering rated ‘mix’ is a trader who included some unique product/service and some similar products. Vacant units were considered n/a.

A ¼ of products and services available in the town centre were deemed ‘unique’. The majority of products and services would be available in similar towns across the county.

Our review of whether products on offer were premium, mid or value was measured.

!

The offer in West Bridgford is very much a mid-priced offer. One might of expected it to be more premium, given the local demographic. NB: Businesses that resided between two categories were scored to the left (lower range).

Target businesses for this category that are not well represented in the town centre might include:

• Upmarket independent jewellers• Independent fashion store• Premium ladies shoe retailer• Outdoor wear store • Independent designer children

clothing store

These combined statistics give a picture of West Bridgford offering its visitors a mid-priced offer. The range of products and services can generally be found elsewhere, although interspersed with some unique elements.

We feel the town centre is falling short of its potential here.

0

22.5

45

67.5

90

Similar Mix Unique n/a

Uniqueness of Product Mix

0

22.5

45

67.5

90

Value Mid Premium n/a

Premium & Value Mix

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Page 11: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

When comparing the quality of the retail offer to the evening trade offer, the retail mix in comparison is much weaker.

Dwell time and leisure shopping

There is understood to be a direct correlation between dwell time and spend. Dwell time being the amount of time a consumer spends in a town centre, for example. Many factors can encourage increased dwell time:• Affordable parking• Coffee shops and cafes• Strong restaurant and leisure offer• Pleasant surroundings and public

realm• Space and pedestrian first

environments.

West Bridgford has addressed all of these aspects, however the goal of holding consumers longer has been achieved by replacing the retail offer with leisure. The town centre is an excellent place to eat, drink and relax - but lacks a sufficiently strong retail offer to encourage spending.

Influencing the retail mix

We would encourage Rushcliffe Borough Council to engage with landlords and help to shape the retail offer in West Bridgford. Whilst there may be appetite from entrepreneurs to open another cafe, restaurant or charity store, there may be other types of outlet that would benefit the town centre as a whole.

Use-class can be adopted and enforced to have some influence over town centre mix. True shaping of the offer will require closer ties with landlords and agents. This will help steer stakeholders towards decisions that benefit the town centre as a whole and longer term, not simply occupying a unit. The lack of supply in West Bridgford will make this process easier, although change will be more gradual.

Annual meetings with landlords and agents can be a forum to share a vision for the town’s retail mix and explore opportunities to attract and relocate businesses accordingly. Landlords Howard de Walden Estate from

Marylebone High Street successfully achieved this over a number of years.

We have seen a single tenant become the catalyst of positive change in a towns’ retail offer. Attracting good anchor tenants can put an area on the map for similar and complementary businesses to open nearby. We consider Rushcliffe’s role in influencing landlords is very important for the overall health of a town centre. The Market

West Bridgford hosts a farmers market every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, from 08:30 to 13:30 since 1922.

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Page 12: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

The market is reasonably well supported and is located on the ‘Croquet lawn’ by the Halifax bank.

The market is ideally placed by principal car parks and is in close proximity of the town centre offer.

The quality of produce was good, although presentation could have been improved.

The market’s appearance was not exceptional but in keeping with travelling markets.

Customer Experience

Greater emphasis on the 'softer' experiential elements of shopping in

town centres has been touched on in recent reports circulated by ATCM. Recognising the role of ‘experience’ as a key ingredient to a thriving town centre can help drive and justify activity in this area.

The time restricted traffic management system on Central Avenue appeared to work well, with pedestrians and drivers cooperating. The road layout and barriers communicate a ‘traffic first’ relationship still, despite the reduced traffic in the area. We would recommend that Rushcliffe Council consider a shared space scheme on Central Avenue. This changes the relationship between pedestrians and traffic.

The wider pavements on Central Avenue could be utilised more, for entertainment and activity during the day.  

Events are universally supported by shoppers and a welcome boost of trade for business owners. Events help to build emotional connections between the town and its shoppers/residents/

Shared space scheme could be introduced in West Bridgford

visitors. Some activity can be very small scale, a few amusement ride operators for instance.

Presentation

We looked at presentation from three perspectives. Exterior, window and interior. Each play a significant role in driving customer behaviour. The overall picture was largely positive in West Bridgford.

Exterior

Maintaining an appealing exterior is largely down to cleanliness and annually refreshing paintwork. In

Page � .11

Page 13: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

some instances low cost maintenance of the facia is required. When benchmarking the exterior we look at the presentation of the premises, excluding the window display. The glass, frames, facia, door, pilasters and brickwork are considered. Residential or office property above is not considered, unless particularly impacting on the overall presentation.

!The graph shows the split of presentation scores across the town centre businesses.

Dirt and dust from local traffic is no doubt a challenge for traders in the town centre, most notably on Central Avenue where windows were very dusty. This may also be due, in part, to the building work undertaken at the side of the Halifax building.

In most instances keeping a store exterior clean is a low cost activity and there is little reason why business owners should not maintain it. Pointing out presentation issues to traders can be helpful as the familiarity of working in a site/store daily, can make some required work become invisible. Photographs of business premises are very helpful in highlighting where attention is needed.

Some retailers would benefit from developing skills around exterior presentation and its impact on the town centre atmosphere as a whole.

The following examples highlight the range of presentation levels across the town centre at present.

Cook & John German Estate Agent, illustrates how a well presented store can enhance the town centre as a whole.

0

15

30

45

60

Poor OK Good n/a

Exterior Presentation

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Page 14: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

It is important to clearly articulate examples of best practise and unacceptable practise in order to help traders see what is required. Presented in the right way, such as a document/workshop could be designed to help boost trade.

We know that typically, well presented businesses attract more customers. Shop front improvement schemes have proven popular in many UK towns and cities.

Street Trading

Although a common 'blot on the landscape' for town and city centres, only a small number of retailers in West Bridgford had crossed the line of excessive street trading.  Promoting business wares on the High Street is often a delicate area of discussion, given that traders are trying to draw in customers. However, clear rules on what is and is not acceptable, in the interest of the customer experience, needs to be communicated.

Some street trading can bring energy and personality to a High Street and cafe culture is desirable in most instances.

We anticipate that this has been previously addressed and policed by Rushcliffe Borough Council, as trader compliance appears to be very good overall and better than many town centres. Most notably on Central Avenue. If this is the case, well done and continue the great work!

There are isolated incidents of excessive trading which we experienced and these should be curbed to avoid other traders following suit.

There can be some ambiguity around what may or may not be considered acceptable. For example, a fruit and veg display on a High Street is usually considered to bring charm to a town.

!Beautifully displayed flowers, from the town centre’s only florist is delightful and enhancing. It is difficult to imagine any scenario in which second-hand wares from charity shops are deemed to benefit the town centre as a whole.

Another issue of street presentation is A-Boards or pavement signs. How many A-Boards can a retailer use, if any?

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Page 15: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

Excessive pavement signs, even if displayed orderly are also negative in terms of the town centre environment.

A-boards rarely enhance the public realm. We therefore recommend their removal. However, clear guidelines and financial support for perpendicular hanging signs could be introduced to support this change.

Outdoor dining creates a modern and welcoming town centre.

!Carluccio’s Central Avenue

We feel the heart of the issue is about standards of presentation, not street trading per se. As we have seen, florists and restaurants can enhance a

town centre, whilst a charity shop or supermarket trolleys do not.

!

!

Window Displays

Window displays ranged across the town. The majority were OK & good. 20% of the windows were deemed poor. 1 in 4 sales can be directly attributed to window displays, therefore this ‘billboard’ for businesses is being under-utilised 20% of the time in West Bridgford.

!Graph highlighting scores across the town for window displays.

There is scope to aid independents in particular, improving their skills around window displays.

0

15

30

45

60

Poor OK Good n/a

Window Displays

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Page 16: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

We did find that a number of poor window displays belonged to national retailers. In this instance, repeated pressure would be the advisable course of action.

One might expect charity shops to be a lower scoring category for window displays. This was the case for some, however, Save the Children had one of the better displays in the town.

!

Interior

Consumers take visual cues from interior presentation. Do I belong here? Is this a premium or value store? Is it clean? Do they care?

Interior presentation in West Bridgford was not an issue. 92% of businesses were OK or Good in terms of their interior presentation standards.

!Graph shows ratings of interior displays across West Bridgford

Charity Shops

West Bridgford had a surprisingly high proportion of charity shops, despite the town having very low vacancy rates. It is not uncommon for landlords to allow reduced income from charities when there is low demand for property. With such high demand for property, it is untypical for so many charity stores to be located here.

0

17.5

35

52.5

70

Poor OK Good n/a

Interior Presentation

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Page 17: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

Our preconceptions were that the charity stores were to be of a high standard, with high quality branded items and strong demand. Our experience was not this at all. Clothing was value and mid-priced brands, the store experiences were not untypical of charity stores across the country - with a few exceptions. Charity stores represent an opportunity to fill a void in the market left by the absence of fashion retailers, music shops and book shops.

For this to be successful, however, the quality of charity retail needs to be A1, distinct, vibrant and unique to West Bridgford. The current offer is none of these.

We would encourage the engagement of charity retailers in West Bridgford, to create a unique and compelling offer for the town.

Vacant Units

Vacant units are the plague of town centres. West Bridgford is host to only 3 vacant units, 2.6% of overall town centre offer. We understand that two of the vacant units in West Bridgford were under offer, since our review in February.

A lack of available space may hinder the attraction of desirable High Street brands, or other suitable tenants. The council may consider acquiring units to control their tenancy and proactively target suitable businesses.

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Page 18: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

The following proposals are listed in no particular order or preference. In isolation they address a particular opportunity or shortcoming of the offer in West Bridgford town centre, collectively they contribute towards a forward thinking and dynamic centre.

The focus of these proposals is to limit leakage, increase spend and frequency of visit from local residents, and attract day visitors to West Bridgford.

We have introduced the concepts succinctly and are happy to expand on any of the recommendations on request.

1. Addressing leakage1.1.Retail Mix1.2.Attracting new retail

2. World class independents2.1.Training and development2.2.Targeted 121 support for

retailers2.3.Outdoor trading guide

3. World class charity retail3.1.Working together as a sector3.2.Identifying and plugging retail

gaps3.3.Being adventurous with offer3.4.Training and development3.5.Outdoor trading guide

4. Startups4.1.Young entrepreneurs

5. Parking6. Evening economy

6.1.Lighting trees

7. Loyalty7.1.Marketing7.2.Weekly communication

8. West Bridgford market9. Brand West Bridgford10. Perceptions

10.1.‘Project perceptions’10.2.Group shopping10.3.Clustering

11. Summary and making it happen

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Page 19: West Bridgford Retail Review: 2016€¦ · retailers and only 2x betting shops. However, the town does have many charity shops. 8% of premises were charity stores. We have seen charity

1. Addressing Leakage

Leakage is a major concern for West Bridgford and Rushcliffe Borough as a whole. Whilst the leisure and service offer is strong here, the comparison retail offer is weak.

The lure and close proximity of Nottingham city centre is inevitably a draw for West Bridgford residents seeking fashion or homewares. It is hard to imagine West Bridgford being your primary fashion centre but with effort it could become a shopping location for interim visits, thus reducing leakage.

The Carter Jonas Retail Study 2015 highlighted the extent to which comparison spend was leaking out of the borough. 99.1% of comparison spend was leaking from Rushcliffe. In its core zone this fell to 92.4% of spend. Whilst Rushcliffe retained a better proportion of medical goods and personal care products, other areas fell short incl. fashion, footwear, domestic electrical, books and stationery,

furniture, homewares and sporting equipment.

Leakage must become a priority for Rushcliffe in its retail centres. Relatively small reductions in leakage rates can have a dramatic impact on income retained in the town centre.

1.1 Retail Mix

There are some noticeable gaps in the retail offer, namely comparison shopping:FashionShoesBooksMobile Phones

Whilst strong independents could do an excellent job filling these gaps, here are some national retail brands, found in similar locations, we would recommend you approach:

Fashion- Joules- Cath Kidson- New Look- Fat Face

- Dorothy Perkins- Claire’s Accessories - Monsoon- Bon Marche- White Stuff- Clarks- Foot asylum- Phase Eight- JoJo Maman Bebe

Jewellery- Pandora

Health- Body Shop- Lush- Space.NK Apothecary

Home- Argos- Lakeland

Mobile Phone:- Vodaphone- O2- Three- EE

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One of the challenges for West Bridgford, is the availability of suitably sized units.

1.3 Attracting new retail

There is a glut of supply in terms of available units across the Midlands. National retailers, therefore, are less interested in discussing ‘potential units’ when attractive terms are offered around existing units. That said, retailers want to be where available spend is. West Bridgford’s lack of vacancy, affluent demographic and attractive centre will be interesting to many national retail brands should available units exist.

Agents and property developers are the most typical means of communicating with retailers. Direct contact to acquisition and property teams can also be made. Most teams are open to look at proposals and as such, direct approaches should not be ruled out.

Regional retailers may be an easier target. Identifying good quality small

to mid sized independents, (2-3 branches for example) currently trading in Nottingham centre and enquiring about expansion into West Bridgford would be a recommended approach.

2. World class independents

Attracting national retailers to a town can be difficult, with many seeking low risk city centre developments first. A quality independent trader offer can be equally attractive to shoppers in particular categories.

West Bridgford does lend itself to having a collection of World Class Independents, clustered for convenience and centrally marketed. Chiswick High Road, London is a good example. Strong independents alongside new national retailers such as Oliver Bonas.

Gordon Road houses a large percentage of the town’s independent retail offer. This would be an ideal place to cluster and market their offer. We felt some improvements to the

public realm was required here, to make it feel on a par with Central Avenue.

Many of the independents in West Bridgford are of a high standard, many others would benefit from training and support to improve their retailing skills.

2.1 Training and Development

Inclusive training, typically in the form of workshops, can help improve skills of local business people and their staff.

Whilst many small businesses owners start a shop through a passion for a product sector, soon they are expected to be expert buyers, marketers, visual merchandisers, PR, sales people and account clerks. We regularly run workshops across the UK on topics such as:

• Visual merchandising and window display skills - supported by a window dressing competition afterwards

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• Sales and customer service skills• Top tips from the world’s most

successful retailers• Marketing for small retail businesses• Digital marketing for retail including

social media

We recently ran a series of workshops for the Creative Quarter of Nottingham looking at general retailer skills, designed to attract and convert more customers. This also culminated in a window dressing competition for Christmas.

This type of activity requires some effort on the part of stakeholders to attract participants, (who don’t necessarily recognise they have a need) but can yield surprisingly good results once engaged.

2.2 Targeted 121 support

Workshops and training sessions are an effective way to inform and motivate large groups of retailers on broad topic areas.  121 sessions or sector specific sessions allow for more tailored and bespoke support for retailers.

Understanding their needs, identifying opportunities and driving business owners to make it happen.

121 support, by its very nature, is more costly than workshops, it can be introduced carefully to address particular issues or opportunities, however.

2.3 Outdoor trading guide

We recommend a small guide be created clearly explaining the benefits of high quality exterior presentation and examples of good and bad practise. The document should also include a clear guide on what is and is not acceptable in West Bridgford. This could be supported with a workshop and 121 store visits (to particular culprits).

Once in place, levels of street trading will need to be carefully policed.

3. World class charity stores

In addition to national retailers and independents, charity stores can play a

significant role in the overall appeal of a town centre. The current charity retail offer in West Bridgford is average but could be world class and of real benefit to the town.

In a handful of locations in the UK, charity shops have successfully addressed a gap in the market locally, offering fashion (often vintage) music, games and books. West Bridgford could develop a strong reputation for high quality designer clothes in charity stores (if sufficient donations were attracted locally).

West Bridgford does lend itself to having a collection of World Class charity stores, clustered for convenience and centrally marketed.

3.1 Working together as a sector

We are not clear of the extent of co-operation between competing charity stores in West Bridgford. There is an opportunity to have the 10x stores work together:

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• Cover local gaps in market• Raise standards and performance• Avoid products that will negatively

impact on town perceptions.

In the first instance this would be a meeting organised and chaired by Rushcliffe council. The group could be encouraged to meet quarterly and chair their own meetings.

Communicating a clear vision of what West Bridgford wants from its charity stores, in return for its reduced rates, is advised.

3.2 Identifying and plugging gaps

We would encourage charity store operators to target gaps in the market, identified by comparison leakage in Carter Jonas Retail Study 2015.

• Clothing • Footwear• Recording media• Audio visual• Books and stationery• Furniture and textiles • Games

• Bikes• DIY & garden products

3.3 Being adventurous with the offer

Whilst charity retail is generally playing catchup to high street standards, for the aforementioned reasons, there are examples of charity retail trail blazing.

A local culture that encourages experimentation in charity retail and striving to set new standards; senior management and regional charity store management may be enticed to trial projects in West Bridgford.

This process could be supported through training and mentoring. 3.4 Training and Development

Save the Children on Gordon Road, was of a very high standard. The remaining 9x charity stores were below high street retailing standards. It is clear they could benefit from training and support to improve their retailing skills.

Img Save the Children, Chiswick - designed by Mary Portas and her team

Standards in charity retail have started to improve in recent years across the UK. The high number of volunteers used makes raising standards challenging.

Training workshops designed for charity store employees and separately, volunteers, can help improve skills.

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3.5 Outdoor trading guide

We see no role in charity, second-hand product, being sold from the pavement.

We recommend a small guide be created clearly explaining the benefits of high quality exterior presentation and examples of good and bad practise. The document should also include a clear guide on what is and is not acceptable in West Bridgford. This could be supported with a workshop and 121 store visits.

Once in place, levels of street trading will need to be carefully policed, as with independents.

4 Startups

Towns can fall off the radar as quickly as they appear on them. West Bridgford is enjoying a boom, particularly around the evening economy. These booms can pass as a new ‘destination’ becomes popular.

It is important for West Bridgford to continue evolving, stay youthful and fresh, whilst catering for its core audience.

The town has seen entrepreneurs enter the evening trade sector, resulting in a strong collection of restaurants, bars and cocktail bars in the town. The same youthful entrepreneurial spirit needs introducing to the daytime economy too.

Pop-up shops, Pop-up market stalls and alike have mixed success long-term but do have the effect of triggering activity initially.

A start-up scheme that highlighted a gap in the market for fashion retail, and offered affordable premises as well as terms to get started, may attract an entrepreneur to ‘have a go’, rather than open another bar, cafe, restaurant.

We operated a similar scheme in Broxtowe and are currently running a scheme in Loughborough. Start-ups are mentored through the process to aid in success. It is important that the town remains vibrant, dynamic and relevant to young people, as well as families and older demographics. 5. Parking

No town centre report would be complete without reference to parking!

Car Parks are well located and central to the town centre. Fees are very reasonable.

Long stay parking is a challenge in the town centre.

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We would encourage this to be explored.

Finding available parking was difficult on a Saturday and increasingly difficult when Nottingham Forest FC were playing at home. This is not unusual for a town centre but options further out usually exist. We were unable to find alternative parking further out from the town centre.

6 Evening Economy

The evening economy was very strong in West Bridgford. The range of restaurants and bars was excellent. The quality of the offer was very high. The environment felt welcoming, safe and family friendly. It is easy to see why West Bridgford has become a popular evening destination for many people in the area.

6.1 lighting trees

The urban landscape could be enhanced by lighting the trees

throughout the town centre with festoon light.

Initially this may be focused around the Croquet Lawn and Bridgford Road end of the town, but later include trees at Tudor Square and Gordon Road.

Image Courtesy @trippintwins Twitter

During winter months this will make the town centre more appealing from 3pm onwards.

7. Loyalty

Loyalty schemes are designed to drive repeat visit and purchase. Customer retention and repeat visits are a key driver for commercial businesses. Growth from an established local customer base comes from increasing their average spend and/or their frequency of visit.

A loyalty scheme aims to reward local people for supporting their local businesses. There are many providers of loyalty solutions in the UK and a number of schemes in place in towns across the UK. Success is mixed in the public sector, as a loyalty program should be seen as a channel for driving behavioural change, not the solution.

Much of our shopping is repeat and habitual. 60% of shopping trips are to the same place, parking in the same car park and shopping at the same stores. 6

Loyalty schemes are designed to build new habits, that favour the town centre.

Cathy Hart, Loughborough University 6

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Loyalty programs require great effort and support to survive past their launch. In the private sector many loyalty schemes have become central to business success. There are two cost effective approaches to loyalty we would recommend for West Bridgford.

1. Show and give card2. Smart phone app

We consider that both could tie in with one another.

Benefits of a loyalty program for West Bridgford:

The signing up process for a loyalty card should include a form of data capture. This email address or mobile phone number will become a primary low cost means of communicating town centre activity, events, offers and news to local residents.

The smart phone app also gives a continual means of communicating

with users, as long as the app is used and not deleted.

Use of loyalty cards:We would not advocate the expense of mag strip cards for West Bridgford, as suitable card readers are unlikely to be in operation across the SMEs. If a particular trader can use the data and wishes to sponsor the generation of loyalty cards, this could be considered.

A simple ‘show and give’ approach is easier to administer and can operate across card or smart phone app mediums. Smart phone apps lend themselves for collecting points (coffee stamps for example) but this is relevant to a smaller number of traders.

Pairing traders in regular weekly offers can generate much interest locally. There has been considerable success across the UK with similar schemes. Beauty Salon and Cafe Bar. “free Shellac Nails with a fixed price lunch” - for example. Both businesses work together to benefit from the deal.

These types of arrangements are agreed amongst the two parties and help to drive traffic locally, keeping shoppers in the town.

7.1 Marketing

Leading national retailers and shopping centres ensure their brand is at the forefront of our minds when the time comes to shop.  This marketing strategy needs to be adopted by towns to limit leakage to neighbouring retail offers.

Very targeted activity can limit the cost of this marketing and the use of social media can also guarantee a relevant audience.

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Residents of West Bridgford need to be contacted at appropriate times with relevant offers. Approaches may include:

• Pay Per Click advertising for local residents doing Google Product searches.

• Facebook and Twitter advertising to relevant demographics - Women between 25 - 45 years for a back to school offer across the town.  

• Email marketing (see 7.2)• Outdoor Media (billboards and

buses) It is evident from our recent studies of shoppers that there is much ignorance of a town centre’s offer. Outdoor media advertising could highlight specific ‘beacon stores’ from the Fashion or Food sector, for instance, on a giant map.

• Street lamp flags and banners

A loyalty programme is an effective vehicle for bringing businesses together to develop a shared marketing message to the consumer.

A loyalty database can be targeted to support any number of town centre

activities through the loyalty card programme.

Many shopping centres will run centre-wide promotions for Valentines, Christmas, Mother’s Day and so on. A series of promotional offers, exclusives and events - supported by some interior decoration and centre event.In some instances, operators have succeeded in getting retailers to share common window display themes.

Bicester has window elements of street decoration it encourages all its tenants to utilise. It creates a co-ordinated and coherent theme that is shared across digital marketing, outdoor media and the physical space.

The loyalty scheme could be a platform on which this type of activity is driven.

7.2 Weekly communication

Weekly communications via email and social media can drive behaviour. Whilst special offers represent a popular reason to communicate with

customers, they are not the only reason.

Events, seasonal campaigns (as previously mentioned) new tenants, new seasonal lines and headline business of the week are all compelling reasons to read emails and act upon them.

Under the umbrella of the loyalty card, this type of communication could be treated for the town centre businesses.

8. West Bridgford market

The farmers market appeared effective and reasonably well supported. The offer was reasonable, with gazebos utilised by most traders.

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The market appeared to lack a little theatre and presentation levels were not exceptional. There is perhaps an opportunity to support the market, improving its appearance and offer, and interspersing with other themed markets.

• Continental markets• Vintage markets• Night market• Antique or Art exhibitions (in the

street)

9. Brand West Bridgford

At no point in history has there been stiffer competition for High Streets to keep their shoppers. Managed shopping centres, competing districts and online retailers use multiple marketing channels to lure shoppers away from their local shops.

Continued marketing to local residents is now a requirement of town centres, to compete with shopping alternatives from districts easily accessible by car, bus or tram.

Developing a brand for a town helps galvanise the message to potential consumers.

Place marketing can become fragmented, with conflicting views or perspectives of the town being promoted through various channels. Many of these messages can be tainted, negative or even dismissive of the place and due to the powerful nature of negative messaging, become the narrative for the town. For example…”There’s nothing there except coffee shops”, or “can never park there, waste of time” may become messages that stick in customers’ minds.

Taking control of the message helps all stakeholders share the same, positive message for the town centre to promote to patrons.

Having just completed this exercise for a Lincolnshire town, we appreciate the process of developing a brand for a town can be challenging but the rewards are potentially priceless when all parties sign up.

A strap-line or brand gives you a basis for targeted campaigns.

10. Perceptions

Preconceptions of a place can be very inhibiting of behaviour.

A common reason shoppers choose not to frequent their local town centres is that they have preconceptions or assumptions about the local offer:

• Can’t park• Parking is expensive• Lack of choice• Better value to be had elsewhere

Whilst these may or may not be true, they still influence a decision on where to go today.

Talking down one’s town centre can become a self-fulfilling prophecy - with satisfaction of town visits being reduced. Conversely, ‘talking up’ the town and focusing on its positive attributes can improve visitors experiences overall.

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Whether local people are talking down the town centre or not, they are clearly voting with their feet, spending close to all of their comparison spend elsewhere. This is despite there being a range of stores which may accommodate some of West Bridgford’s residents’ needs.

Making local people fully aware of the offer and using marketing mediums to promote value, where appropriate, assumptions can be re-written over time. It is not uncommon for shoppers within a town centre to be oblivious of the offer within immediate reach, particularly on the roads off the main High Street.

Solutions adopted by some towns include:• Guides focusing on key shopping

categories can help.  These could be delivered in direct mail campaigns, local advertising and/or utilising map stations throughout the town.

• Maps to takeaway could focus on fashion, entertainment or even food and help shoppers navigate the streets to relevant stores. Maps

directing customers to relevant stores could be sponsored by vouchers and advertisements from local businesses.

• Carnaby Street London, uses a clever colour coding map to help customers navigate to Fashion, Lifestyle, Bars, Beauty and Accessory Stores. It encourages exploration as clusters of similar stores make the walk feel worthwhile.

Carnaby Street Map

10.2 Encouraging group shopping.

Loughborough University recently identified links between party size and dwell time and spend.

!

!

0

30

60

90

120

Alone With Friend Family

Dwell Time

0

17.5

35

52.5

70

Alone With Friend Family

Spend

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Families shopping in the town centre represent the greatest dwell time and opportunity to spend of over all demographics.

We recommend that town centre events incorporate child friendly activities incl. amusement rides, for example, to give local families greater reason to visit and participate. The croquet lawn is an ideal location for this. Introduce unusual and intriguing activities for families.

Marketing of the town centre should also include families spending time together.

10.3 Clustering

Although occupancy is high in West Bridgford, the question “do you have the right mix” is pertinent. This has been

covered in some length throughout the report. The question of how the mix can be influenced is a more challenging issue.

Whilst some believe market forces should dictate the retail landscape, organisations such as Howard de Walden Estate took matters into their own hands, shaping the retail and leisure offer in Marylebone High Street. They incentivised less attractive businesses to relocate in adjacent streets and created a desirable mix of traders on the High Street. Marylebone is now one of the most sought after addresses in the UK.Rushcliffe council could work closely with partner landlords or acquire units of their own. Many councils have relinquished their property portfolios, whilst some have engaged in new partnership programmes with developers.

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11. Summary and making it happen

We are confident suggestions in this document will have a dramatic impact on the West Bridgford town centre, over time.

We have focused on a range of quick wins, platforms for mid-term success and the development of West Bridgford’s future. Anticipating that limited time and resources will force Rushcliffe Borough Council to make choices on what it can and cannot do, we have resisted the temptation to draw out the recommendations unnecessarily, with detail and action plans. We are happy to work with the relevant teams to develop ideas further, and offer guidance on recruiting suitable organisations to deliver elements.

We propose that small action groups are required to drive key opportunities identified in this report.

Priorities

We have prioritised what we consider to be quick wins below. It is these we would encourage small action teams drive forward, with immediate effect.

1. Clarify your position on street trading

2. Create plan to develop world class independents

3. Create plan to develop world class charity sector

4. Develop loyalty programme and town centre brand

Mid-term plans

1. Clarify your ideal town centre mix and communicate to landlords and agents.

2. Develop mid-term plan to relocate businesses.

3. Limit further development of Melton Road - seek to relocate some stores into town centre.

4. Seek to secure properties to attract national retail brands

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