Tag Archives: quarterbridge

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious the key to Market projects is funding. Support streams, deadlines and eligibility criteria come and go as post-Brexit Britain replaces EU support with MHCLG funding. Rachel Reeves’ June spending review offered some hope to those Councils still looking down the back of the sofa to finance Market improvements and deliver Social Value.

The Chancellor confirmed the Government’s latest steps towards delivering its ambitious ‘Plan for Change’ mission to grow the UK economy through a revised Plan for Neighbourhoods www.gov.uk/government/collections/plan-for-neighbourhoods.

The scope of projects which will benefit from this £1.5bn fund has been doubled to 350 deprived communities and names 75 recipients and 25 ‘Trailblazer’ areas previously announced in March 2025. Local Neighbourhood Boards will be appointed to set targets and administer the delivery of community cohesion, regeneration and an improved public realm. This is a revamp of the Shared Prosperity Fund which itself was a substitute for European ERDF support. Quarterbridge offers bespoke Business Plans to support bids (or deliver projects already underway) incorporating the Economic Impact Assessment favoured by MHCLG assessors.

Markets clearly represent an excellent focus for bids. They are ‘low hanging fruit’ i.e. highly visible, cheap and within the gift of a Council to deliver. They are best promoted within the framework of employment creation and delivering social value as per The (Social Value) Act 2012 with plenty of evidence to illustrate how they create jobs and boost the local economy thanks to research by the New Economics Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Trust. MHCLG has also promised to simplify the appraisal process which comes as welcome news to anyone reading the HMG ‘Green Book’ guidance so popular with insomniacs.

Further discretionary grants are also available from the Welsh and Scottish governments through organisations such as Busnes Cymru https://businesswales.gov.wales which is particularly active at encouraging SME businesses who represent the Customers of any Market. Support for SME’s needs to form part of any Business Plans to stimulate demand for Market stalls. Delivery (in England at least) will be through Council-based support teams now Local Enterprise Partnerships are no more.

So the big picture is encouraging but the devil lies in the application and assessment process, as always. Give us a call to see how we can help. We’re always keen to chat through how Markets can be used as a focus for bids.

The Climate Change Act 2008 has profound implications for many owners of Market Halls. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) have applied since 2015 and (wait for it…) it is now unlawful to grant new leases for buildings with an EPC rating of less than Standard E. As from April 2025 an EPC certificate must be registered online for all buildings. To compound this further the compliance standards will become more stringent and rise to Grade C in 2027 and Grade B in April 2030. The cold, draughty Market Hall may soon become a thing of the past. Good news, but read on…

So why the legislation? The UK Government is committed to reducing energy consumption and hence carbon emissions by 80% before 2050. The EU (which then included the UK) took a bold stance when promoting the Kyoto protocol in 2005 – unlike the USA, China and India which have never ratified it. A lot of the world is not green yet. Saving the world is commendable but poses a problem for Councils with a large stock of social housing and commercial property and struggling to balance their budgets. The good old days of not worrying about ‘costs in use’ i.e. heating and lighting for Market Halls by simply dumping rising costs onto a service charge are dead and gone.

How to introduce EPCs for existing buildings is a legislative problem which in all fairness has been pretty well thought through. New builds are simply required to meet the standards but how to ensure existing buildings are upgraded is a real problem. There are ‘get out’ clauses such as an exemption for historic listed buildings which would be ‘unacceptably altered’ by compliance. Also for those where compliance works would be more expensive than energy savings anticipated over 7 years – the nattily-named ‘7-year payback exemption’. But exemption claims need to lodged online, or else.

As for any legislation affecting existing tenants there are lease implications which have been anticipated. A lease renewal cannot be refused because the property is sub-standard, nor can a Tenant prematurely terminate their lease because a landlord fails to comply. This could add another level of complexity to often-contested service charge demands levied by landlords. If existing Tenants don’t contribute to compliance this can result in a two-tier rental and service charge structure. Pity the poor Market Manager who has to unpick that problem.

Help is at hand though. A registered Energy Assessor using Government-approved software can calculate an existing performance standard then go on to identify the most cost-effective improvements to ensure future compliance. These include roof overcladding, draught lobbies and the offset effect of PV panels and airsource heatpumps. Then it is down to a Quantity Surveyor to estimate the costs and practicality. The problem still remains of how cash-strapped Landlord can afford the works but there are emerging ways of doing so at very modest cost – contact Quarterbridge if you’d like to discuss with our Energy Assessor.

The DLUHC is promoting three government-backed schemes to revitalize High Streets – the most significant for Markets being the Community Infrastructure Levy. CIL is already in place and proposals for ‘High Street Rental Auctions’ and ‘High Street Accelerators’ are pending.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 empowered County and Unitary Councils to charge a levy when a planning consent is granted, with a share of the proceeds (typically 15%) passed down to lower tier Councils. The intention is to replace unwieldy S.106 agreements attached to consents with a mandatory levy applied across all developments to fund infrastructure for schools and transport etc. All forms of development including changes of use are liable but a ‘Charging Authority’ has a get-out clause for how it is levied. A zero rate can be set for projects delivering a net benefit to the Community e.g. a Market development which creates employment and supports local producers.

Fair enough – it’s not unreasonable to expect developments to contribute to the infrastructure they require. But Council-owned Market developments should become the recipient of and not a donor to CIL. Markets are the starting point for SME businesses which grow to fill empty High Street shops and support the local economy. Ask Mary Portas and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Applying CIL funds to support Market projects is more than justifiable.

But there are Markets and there are MARKETS. Modernising a Council-owned Market Hall to revitalise a Town centre is admirable but poses the dilemma of whether privately-owned venues e.g. a Carboot sale or a Market Hall which morphs into a leisure-based Food & Beverage destination deserve support. Do F&B developments which replace a Market Hall Butcher and Greengrocer really serve Dan and Doris and the community? Maybe the funding should be focussed on supporting SME businesses instead?

The Act does contain exemptions e.g. no levy on Social Housing or ‘Self-builders’ who develop for their own occupation – but an application for exemption needs to be lodged before development work commences. Nor does CIL replace contributions demanded by private infrastructure providers e.g. Water Companies needing to upgrade their treatment works. Theory says such investment should be borne by Customer supply charges but the scale of investment needed to meet discharge quality standards is enormous. The Water Industry Act 1991 enables them to demand contributions.

The DLUHC’s proposed ‘High Street Rental Auctions’ pilot scheme is intended to enable Councils to force the auction of leases for High Street Shops standing empty for more than a year. The leases can be for up to 5 years and auctioned without a reserve price but who picks up the bill for refurbishment and whether low rents granted will be supported by Small Business Rates Relief is unclear. DLUHC is also inviting bids for 10 High Streets for another pilot scheme – the ‘High Street Accelerators programme’ to create ‘Green Community space’ from a £5m fund. The response to these pilots is intended to guide policy for the DLUHC’s proposed £1.5 billion Long-Term Plan for Towns.

Of the three initiatives CIL offers a real opportunity to kickstart a Market project.

Every 10 years or so another product defect emerges to plague building owners. The latest is RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete). Structural failures in school roofs built of RAAC in the 1970′s and 1980′s is bad news for budget-stricken Education Authorities – and the Daily Mail is on the case. Enough said. This is a repeat of the Asbestos, GluLam beams and High Alumina Cement crises we’ve seen before and it is not new news – the Local Government Association, Building Research Establishment and Institution of Structural Engineers have been warning about RAAC for many years. Take a look at the LGA website: www.local.gov.uk/topics/housing-and-planning/information-reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac

The designers of 1970′s Shopping Centres and Market Halls were very enthusiastic about RAAC at that time. RAAC planks were a great solution as roof spans for large buildings. They were made from foamed concrete poured into moulds over mesh steel. Autoclaving the mould made them quick and cheap to produce and the foamy concrete made them far lighter than solid cast concrete slabs. They were just the job for a new roof – add insulation and a nice weatherproof covering and there you have it. The trouble was that RAAC had an estimated design life of about 30 years – more if properly maintained but less if neglected.

As my wonderfully diligent Building Surveyor colleague Vijay says: ‘Why doesn’t anyone ever read the specification?’. There’s nothing he likes more than poking around in dark corners to remind everyone materials have a finite design life. Roofs and drains and plumbing services need maintenance to extend their design life. His recommendations for planned maintenance with advisories from the Building Research Centre keeps Clients awake at night.

There are always practical solutions to sort any problems but who pays? If a privately-owned Shopping Centre with a Market Hall contains RAAC the Lawyers will start reviewing the headlease. That was not an uncommon arrangement for a 1970′s town centre redevelopment where Councils often retained the freehold and a headrent in return for assembling the site. That often included a sublease of the Market Hall back to the Council who then sublet to the Traders. Where does repairing liability rest for an ‘inherent defect’? – with the freehold or headlease or the sublease? And can a product or design warranty be called upon? – both are pretty unlikely.

It’s trickier still when the Market Hall or Shopping Centre is sublet to Tenants. Is there a so-called sinking fund available to cover the cost of remedials (probably not) or could the costs be recovered via a communal service charge levied on Tenants? Try getting that one past a Market Traders Association. As for lodging an insurance claim to pay for an inherent defect – well good luck.

But look on the bright side. If you’re the owner of a Shopping Centre which includes an RAAC-affected Market Hall it is probably under-occupied. This could be an excellent opportunity to relocate the Market into an empty shop (a Wilko?) while the Lawyers sort out a deal with the Council. Relocation could be good news for everyone, not just for footfall in the Centre and the Market Traders.

Following extensive input from Quarterbridge Market Developments and Quarterbridge Lettings, Doncaster’s newly refurbished Wool Market has enjoyed a hugely successful first week’s trade.

Quarterbridge have been advising Doncaster Council on the redevelopment of the Wool Market, which forms part of the overall Markets estate in Doncaster town centre, since March 2017.

Doncaster Wool Market opened this week with a diverse mix of new catering and retail units

After closing in December 2017 for refurbishment, Doncaster Wool Market opened this week with a diverse mix of new catering and retail units centered around a stage and communal seating area. The building has seen an overhaul in the layout and quality of stalls, toilet facilities have been installed and glass frontages have been put in place around the building. The car park, located directly next to the Wool Market, has been extended by an additional 97 spaces now feeding directly into the building.

Quarterbridge Lettings, the UK’s only dedicated letting agency for markets, designed the tenant mix and pre-let the project to entirely independent retailers and street food businesses.

An exciting new shopping and dining experience

Thousands of people came to the Wool Market over the opening week to enjoy food from all over the world, shop at a diverse mix of quality retailers and relax in the communal seating area whilst enjoying live music and entertainment. The Wool Market redevelopment has provided Doncaster with an exciting new shopping and dining experience.

The future of markets is about more than just developing buildings

The future of markets is about more than just developing buildings, it is about developing social hubs by creating a multi-use space which encourages dwell time and perambulation. The Wool Market encapsulates these values, providing a family friendly, enjoyable space which supports Doncaster’s early evening economy (with the food court open until 9pm Thursday-Saturday).

Social media feedback has been overwhelmingly positive

Social media feedback has been overwhelmingly positive following initial skepticism about the value of the project and future of the market. Businesses in other areas of the market estate and in this area of town have seen an uplift in trade, with some doubling their usual takings, demonstrating the business and community value of thriving markets.

QB- Wool Market Opening Press Release 1

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Government officials took time off from Brexit negotiations last month to launch two crucial initiatives: A ‘traffic light’ scheme from DEFRA proposing retailers add red, amber or green labels to show if their packaging is recyclable. And a ‘calorie cap’ recommendation to limit the size of takeaway pizzas. A pleasant change to worrying about Brexit no doubt but rather missing the point – the need to reduce consumption. Curbing the volume of unnecessary packaging and banning double sausage and egg McMuffins would be a start. Quite how HMG would implement these proposals is not clear. Maybe Brexit will provide an answer.

The LADS must be doing something right.

Meanwhile the quarterly results for the LADS (Limited Assortment Discounters i.e. Aldi and Lidl) show they continue to bite chunks out of the ‘Big Four’ supermarkets. Lidl boosted sales by 10% and Aldi by 15%, partly from new store openings and partly from own-label product lines. The Co-op also did well with turnover up 7%. By comparison Asda and Morrison increased sales by 2.4% but Tesco only managed 0.9% and Sainsbury 0.6%. The LADS must be doing something right.

Variety is the spice of life.

Retail analysts have pointed fingers at the oversupply of supermarket space by the Big Four, problems with suppliers and poor variety. Reducing product lines to reduce prices has been adopted by Tesco to compete with the LADS but I think they’re missing the point. Variety is the spice of life. It‘s what makes a Market successful.

Morrisons offers the best variety in the UK

My holiday comparison between Aldi and Intermarche (France) and Morrisons and Tesco (UK) was an eyeopener. OK, the prices are higher in the EU thanks to exchange rates but the sheer variety on offer in France is far wider. Morrisons offers the best variety in the UK and their sales confirm as much but Intermarche simply crams more product lines into the same floor space.

Note for Market Managers – Variety attracts footfall.

A pallet of engine oil at the end of an Aldi aisle might seem odd but expectation of a ‘Managers offer’ or an ‘own-brand special’ attracts footfall. Maybe it’s time for you to stooge around the competition and offer seasonal specials.

Note for Market Stallholders – Look at refreshing your offer on a regular basis.

In direct response to the challenge of the LADS Tesco launched ‘Jack’s’ last month – it’s new brand of discount store. It used a mothballed store development in Chatteris to offer limited range, no frills displays, short -term discounts and an emphasis on British suppliers. ‘The cheapest in town’ said Lawrence Harvey, retail director of Jack’s – but only locally, not nationally. My suspicion is this is not going to cut it with an Aldi or Lidl shopper who enjoys cheap (if oddly-named) chocolate across the UK.

Retail analysts have reminded everyone of Sainsbury’s Danish experience

Retail analysts have reminded everyone of Sainsbury’s Danish experience. It dipped a toe in the discount pool four years ago when it partnered with Dansk Supermarket Group to bring discounter Netto to the UK in a £25m partnership. It trialled 16 stores at discounted prices but folded the partnership two years later because of an ‘increasingly competitive market’

Do you go for high-volume ‘pile it high, sell it cheap’ sales

And therein lies the dilemma for many Market businesses. Do you go for high-volume ‘pile it high, sell it cheap’ sales with a limited variety you can buy cheaply in bulk, or do you push high-margin niche products for which you have specialist knowledge? My money is on the latter.

Checkouts will soon verify age using facial recognition technology

Finally, those of us fortunate enough to still enjoy youthful good looks will be relieved to learn checkouts will soon verify age using facial recognition technology. ‘Fastlane’ self-service checkout manufacturer NCR has announced a partnership with software company YOTI to integrate a camera and age assessment technology into self-service tills.

No longer will we need to answer tedious questions and produce proof of age when buying age-restricted goods such as booze, fags, knives, fireworks, X-rated DVD’s etc.

Waiting for age approval at self-checkouts is a source of frustration

Robin Tombs, chief executive of Yoti, said: ‘Waiting for age approval at self-checkouts is a source of frustration for many shoppers who just want to get home as quickly as possible. It’s a simple process that helps retailers meet the requirements of regulators worldwide’.

Hmmm… NCR did not confirm whether their tills will breathalyse the shopper to determine if he/she is already plastered (selling to them would also be an offence) or whether it will remove the security tag on your bottle of gin.

In retail today we take many things for granted and forget someone had to invent them. Machine-readable barcodes – the basis of stock control and EPOS – were the brainchild of Alan Haberman in the 1970’s but 40 years before then the late Sylvan Goldman, owner of ‘Humpty Dumpty’ grocery stores in Oklahoma invented the ‘greatest ever development in the history of merchandising’ – the shopping trolley.

Until the 1930’s grocery stores had always been ‘serve-over’

The USA has always been a consumer-driven society eager to embrace new ideas. Until the 1930’s grocery stores had always been ‘serve-over’ and the issuing of self-serve baskets to reduce staff costs was relatively new. Goldman had a lightbulb moment when he realised self-serve sales could be doubled with ‘Trolley-carriers’ to overcome the weight of a basket.

Shopping trolleys were a flop when introduced in 1937.

In a later TV interview Goldman recorded how Shoppers resisted the idea. Women said: ‘I’ve pushed enough baby carriages. I don’t want to push any more’ whilst Men said ‘Are you saying I’m a wimp? Do you think I can’t carry a pesky little basket?’ – or something like that. Shopping trolleys were a flop when he introduced them in 1937.

The design evolved from two loose baskets in a folding, wheeled frame

But he had the strength of his convictions. He spent a small fortune on newspaper and radio advertising to make them fashionable and hired attractive young girls to walk around pushing his new invention. Staff were trained to spot people struggling with baskets and to place them in his wheeled carrier frame – which also carried a second basket so they could carry on shopping. The design evolved from two loose baskets in a folding, wheeled frame into todays single large-capacity fixed basket in a stackable frame. And trolleys in the USA are BIG – about half as big again as those in the UK.

Goldman also experimented with less-successful techniques

Goldman also experimented with less-successful techniques.He tried to emulate Henry Ford and attached baskets to a track along which customers shuffled collecting produce as they went. But that was a stinker. When anyone stopped to read a product label everyone else stopped. Oh well, back to the drawing board….

Goldman tried to understand Shopper psychology, kept experimenting and wasn’t frightened of change

The point is that Goldman tried to understand Shopper psychology, kept experimenting and wasn’t frightened of change. He persisted and soon overcame Shoppers’ reluctance and patent his idea before dying as a very wealthy man indeed. The Yanks are good at innovation.

Todays big retailers are still looking for a lightbulb moment but I’m sorry to say few Markets match them

Todays big retailers are still looking for a lightbulb moment but I’m sorry to say few Markets match them. Take product lighting for instance. A whole industry has evolved around product lighting – different wavelengths and different focusses for different products: meat, fish, vegetables, fabrics and jewellery. And it works – well-designed lighting increases sales by about 25%. A Draper no longer needs to take a Customer outside to show them his sample – specialist lighting brings daylight into the stall. Nowadays product-specific lighting is cheaper than ever. The exposed fluorescent tubes of many Markets should be history.

Unintended ‘impulse purchases’ are driven by lighting and presentation

Research has confirmed a well-lit and laid-out shop convinces Shoppers to buy 50% more than they intended when they walked in. Unintended ‘impulse purchases’ are driven by lighting and presentation and Supermarkets ensure the most alluring sensations – flowers and produce – stand at the front in a ‘decompression’ zone to relax Shoppers as they arrive. The basics – dairy produce and bakery – are positioned at the back to draw shoppers past the shelves and many US stores employ friendly ‘greeters’ to open the door and say Hello. It may sound a bit naff to us Brits but one of the most successful Stallholders I know does the same. He simply stands out in front of his stall in a nice fresh uniform and says Hello to Dan and Doris. They love him.

ASB on private premises is a civil not a criminal offence

A friend recently introduced me to a Superstore manager relaxing in our local after a hard day at the checkout. He complained about the early-morning task of evicting rough sleepers from shopping trolley shelters in his carpark. In bad weather they are a cosy alternative to a draughty doorway with the added bonus of skip diving for food in his waste bins. I was sympathetic. Market Hall entrances seem to attract similar ASB (anti-social behaviour) despite deterrents such as ‘Mosquito’ ultrasonic transmitters (audible only to under-25’s) and ceiling-mounted sprinkler bars which discharge after closing hours. I’m told both are reasonably effective and a lot cheaper than a security guard. But as a Landlord don’t expect any help from PC 49. ASB on private premises is a civil not a criminal offence and when Landlords do take action they can expect complaints about infringing peoples human rights. Hmmmm…..

Shopping trolleys are more germ-laden than well-used public conveniences

My Superstore manager’s problem is staff morale – confrontations and clearing cardboard and other errrr…remains left behind in smelly corners. To cap it all his Company Health & Safety Manager now quoted research confirming shopping trolleys are more germ-laden than well-used public conveniences. Research commissioned by the ‘bag-for-life’ company Reusethisbag and a separate study by the University Hospital of Marburg, Germany (no less) suggests trolleys host several hundred times more E Coli and Salmonella than a well-used WC. Think about that the next time you see a child chewing on the trolley handle. Cash machines and self-service fridge doors have the same problem. And you don’t want to know about the grab handles in a London Underground carriage.

There are Companies which rock up with a highly-visible ‘trolleywash’ unit, sterilise the trolleys and sanitise the shelters at the same time

But of course someone in the USA quickly spotted the business opportunity. There are Companies which rock up with a highly-visible ‘trolleywash’ unit, sterilise the trolleys and sanitise the shelters at the same time. Customers love ‘em. It’s one less thing they’d never thought about and now it’s one less thing to worry about. My Supermarket friend suggested this to HQ but was told the cost would come out of his bonus. Instead he slips a few bob to his Carpark Carwash blokes and they do it for him instead. Good thinking.

‘Market Matters’ – August 2018

Consider the UK’s High Streets. Hard on the heels of House of Fraser’s announcement of dozens of closures and the rumours about Debenhams you could almost forget how long they’ve been a bad news story. It was back in 2012 the penny finally dropped they were in trouble and it couldn’t be blamed on the 2008 banking collapse or the previous Labour government. Grant Shapps MP, the keen young DCLG Housing and Local Government minister launched the ‘Portas pilot towns’ competition backed by David Cameron and Mary Portas banging on about Markets as the saviour of High Streets. But what happened then? Not much. The money and policy initiatives fizzled out as attention shifted to Brexit and Cameron and Shapps disappeared faster than a Blockbuster store.

The traditional heart of a town survives despite the oversupply of ‘Bricks ‘n Mortar’ retail and Landlords bleeding to death on empty rates.

And yet somehow the High Street still staggers along. The traditional heart of a town survives despite the oversupply of ‘Bricks ‘n Mortar’ retail and Landlords bleeding to death on empty rates. Here are a few Losers, Movers and Bruisers we’ve seen over the last few years….

The Losers:

Woolworths: Founded in 1909, 830 UK stores in 1995 then administration in 2008. What happened?

Our Price: Crashed out of Vinyl, DVD’s and Cassettes in 2004 thanks to online streaming. At about the same time Radio Rentals (remember them?) finally threw in the towel, followed by Blockbuster Video in 2013.

British Home Stores: Closed it’s 160 stores in 2016 amidst allegations that owner Philip Green starved it and the staff pension fund of investment. Well over half the former BHS stores still remain empty today.

Poundland: Owned by South African retail giant Steinhoff with 700 stores, many being former Woolworths units. Currently involved in a major accounting scandal – rather like Tesco 18 months ago.

New Look, Carpetright, Monsoon and Mothercare: planned closures announced.

The Movers:

Marks & Spencer: 280 stores in 1997 and now over 1,000 – shifted from fashions and clothing to luxury foods at edge of town locations.

Argos: 380 stores in 1996, now some 850 mainly at edge of town and retail park locations. Bought by Sainsbury and central to the Asda merger because of their excellent distribution network.

Currys/PC World/Carphone Warehouse: Merged then downsized and bailed out of the High Street to retail parks where they’re doing OK. Mind you Carphone Warehouse on the High Street is having a rough time with 100 closures expected.

Boots Chemists: More than doubled their town centre outlets from 1,000 in 1995 to 2,500 today by adding another 1,500 edge of towners.

The Bruisers:

Charity shops: over 11,000 in the UK at the last count. Welcomed with open arms by High Street Landlords desperate to avoid empty rates liability.

Coffee shops: Costa now have 2,200 stores across the UK. Don’t mention Starbucks, Vat and Corporation tax in the same sentence.

BooHoo: Doing very nicely online thank you amongst 16-30 year-olds thanks to no business rates and ‘Bricks ‘n Mortar’ overheads. A fine example of how to target a specific consumer group and their lifestyle.

Mergers, consolidation, moving online and relocating to the edge of town is THE pattern

What this shows is just how little sentiment there is amongst the big boys. Mergers, consolidation, moving online and relocating to the edge of town is THE pattern. According to the Centre for Retail Research the number of online retail sales as a proportion of total retail sales has risen from 2.5% in 2004 to 22% in 2018. That is a simply staggering growth rate and any retailer who ignores the trend is dead in the water.

So who will replace multiples on the High Street?

So who will replace multiples on the High Street? The Centre for Retail Research says don’t despair – it will become a social centre. It will shift from commerce to leisure with more space given over to restaurants, ‘artisan’ foodstores, health & beauty and ‘lifestyle’ outlets. Less errr…’glamorous’ locations such as Mudford-on-Sea will have to make do with Charity shops, bookmakers and vape stores. ‘Lifestyle’ retailers such as Joules and Ted Baker are doing well, but only in top 100 towns. Future casualties will to be shoes, household goods, furniture, textiles and music/games. Those offers are increasingly replaced with Amazon collection boxes.

E-commerce is like one of those creepy robot lawnmowers

The CRR also highlighted the rise in ‘Showroom’ and ‘Concept’ stores. These are sparsely-staffed display units which allow Customers a hands-on experience but retain the cost advantage of selling online. E-commerce is like one of those creepy robot lawnmowers – it works for you 24/7 whatever the weather and if you’re a home producer selling on Ebay or Etsy gives you a physical showcase for your products.

Dyson have just launched an Oxford Street demonstration store where you can test drive their vacuum cleaners and hairdryers, helped by charming young men who can’t do enough for their lady customers – or for the men either come to think of it. Note the cunning combination of hairstylist and vacuum cleaner salesperson. Wow.

You can’t underestimate how activity stimulates confidence

To attract leisure-users and investment High Streets need to differentiate– offer something which makes them more attractive than the High Street in the next town. The easy fix is to spend zillions on repaving and relighting but to my mind it is better to spend it encouraging small businesses. More rent and rates caps, pop-up shops in empty units, Town Council and landlord partnerships, events and Markets. You can’t underestimate how activity stimulates confidence. There are some towns where an energetic and innovative B.I.D or Town Centre Partnership is really making a difference.

Don’t feel you need to spend zillions on retail demand surveys

And finally, if you are a B.I.D. don’t feel you need to spend zillions on retail demand surveys. Henry Ford, the mastermind behind mass-produced automobiles was once asked what he thought about Customer research. He replied: “If I’d asked the public what they wanted they’d have said faster horses….’

Hope you had a good Christmas. Try not to think about the kipper season.

Preliminary sales results from the big boys have been poor at best. The ‘Big Four’ supermarkets have been fighting off the Germans – Aldi and Lidl – so margins remained wafer-thin. The high street fashion retailers were hammered by unseasonably warm weather and Black Friday never really took off. Biggies like H&M and Next started their sales early (which is a bit worrying given the low rate of inflation and rising disposable incomes). Drastic discounting did not draw in the crowds as expected so when the full Christmas sales results are announced it will be interesting to see the proportion which transferred to online or simply disappeared to online competition. Amazon and Google announced amazing turnover figures for Black Friday with durables, white goods and presents only a click away. Shoppers were still seen browsing High Street shops up to Christmas Eve but more for price-comparison with online and/or to sniff out last-minute bargains. Conversion to sales seems to have been poor with many shoppers preferring to sit in front of their PC with a pile of mince pies.

Lower High Street footfall means lower Market turnover

You might have hoped this would not affect your market but I’m sorry to say that doesn’t appear to be the case. Stallholders do not have the sky-high rents and rates of a ‘bricks ‘n mortar’ high street retailer so are still able to offer real bargains BUT they remain overwhelmingly reliant on footfall. Lower high street footfall means lower market turnover which seems to have affected seasonal Christmas markets as much as weekday general markets. Meat, poultry and fruit & veg. seems to have stood up reasonably well but European traders who came to the UK in search of a strong currency and better sales turnover went home disappointed. Sales turnover on Christmas markets seems to have fallen by at least a quarter.

Those with a decent online presence have definitely held their ground

So who were the real winners? Those with a decent online presence have definitely held their ground. Those selling craft and luxury goods only have done well. My friend trained as saddlemaker in Walsall but threw in that towel to make wallets, belts, dog collars and handbags and only sells online. His sales through Etsy, Ebay, Facebook and website are better then ever. He’s not cheap but works on the theory that no girl can ever be too thin or own too many handbags or pairs of shoes. He took a big gamble and doubled his stock from July but had a cracking good Christmas since. His secrets are low overheads, adding value by product skills and selling online 24/7.

Thank heavens the markets industry is so innovative and resilient

So where does this leave the markets industry? The impact of online retailing and home delivery by DHL is as profound as the introduction of self-service supermarkets was to the corner shop. Thank heavens the markets industry is so innovative and resilient. Sadly, the Chancelllor’s Autumn statement didn’t contain any real goodies for small businesses to reinvest in and develop themselves. But it did confirm your market authority’s worst fears – a further 29% in spending cuts over the next 5 years. The easy cuts have been made already so you can anticipate services like care for the elderly taking priority. Loss-making ‘discretionary’ services like markets are in line for disposal in line with the ‘Big Society’ agenda promoted by David Cameron.

It would be interesting to know how many stallholders have half-embraced online retailing

It would be interesting to know how many Stallholders have HALF-embraced online retailing, but not the right half. Be honest with yourself and admit whether you’ve gone online because you’re too busy selling and don’t have time to sit in the carpark queue at Bluewater (6 hours) or Silverburn (3 hours). Maybe next year you should plan ahead and go online then treat yourself with a post-Christmas weekend holiday in Eastern Europe. Many of their Christmas markets stay open until the Orthodox Christmas on 6th January.

A Christmas when you don’t have to work – whoopee!