By Kate Jackman, Charlotte Wilson and Lucy Bennett.
These are worrying times for our local High Street. Although the entrepreneurs behind many small businesses are an adaptable bunch, the lockdown in November came as just another sucker punch on top of several blows in recent years. Many traders are struggling to survive - and we wonder how many more empty units we’ll see before the pandemic is through.
With people across the country re-assessing how they live their lives, we asked traders and customers alike how they see the future for the High Street - and why it’s so vital for villages like Hurstpierpoint.
Why is a thriving High Street important to the village?
Our High Street is often cited as a reason why people move to Hurstpierpoint - you only have to look at local estate agent listings boasting of a ‘bustling High Street’ to see what a draw it is. The High Street isn’t just a row of shops, it’s the hub of the community. It’s where neighbours and friends bump into each other of a morning. It’s vital for social cohesion and it’s where the community comes together on a daily basis.
Not only that but our local shops offer familiarity, advice and often a bespoke service that you just can’t get at bigger retailers. It’s not just about money for them. They know us and our families. We are their friends. Shopping on the High Street is a pleasure rather than a chore.
Independent retailers can play a really important part in building local communities and lockdown has really shown us how much a part of the local community the High Street is.
Why should we use the local shops?
Several traders we spoke to agreed that we need to get across the message that many of them are on the brink. Traders are doing what they can to adapt - but they need our help. Put starkly, if we don’t use them, we’ll lose them. They ask that rather than jumping in our cars to drive to a supermarket, we think twice and consider whether we could shop locally instead. Yes, the price might be a bit higher because local shops can’t buy in the quantity that large shops can, but you gain in other ways by being part of a local community and getting to know the shopkeepers.
From a sustainable point of view, shopping locally also saves on needless packaging and car journeys. Many of our local shops offer plastic free packaging and a choice of fresher, locally made or sourced products.
Find out the answers to more High Street questions like ‘How has 2020 been for the High Street?’, ‘In addition to COVID, what other problems do traders face?’ and ‘What does the future hold for High Street Retail?’ in the December issue of Hurst Life.
For now, why not check out our list of local traders, suppliers and producers and their online links so you can continue to support them over the crucial Christmas trading period: https://www.facebook.com/hurstrethink