The changing face of our high streets
In the early 1990s, a British computer scientist, Tim Berners-Lee, (at least partially) invented what we now refer to as the World Wide Web. In 1991, his team at CERN created the first ever website and put it online. At that time, few people could guess how fast the internet would change the way we live our lives - in the ways we connect to each other, share information, and conduct business.
Some 30 years later, the world has changed forever. Around 60% of people are active on social media; print newspapers and magazines are in decline as readership tails off in favour of online sources; email has virtually destroyed traditional postal services, and the growth of e-commerce means that no company can afford to be without some form of web presence. And our high streets, once the beating hearts of towns and cities, where people congregated to shop and socialise, look vastly different.
Ghost towns?
This is most evident in the retail industry. Increasing numbers of people are now confident to do some, or even most, of their shopping over the web, whether that be for clothing, entertainment, or food: 72% of British adults shopped online in 2013, up around 20% from a few years previously. A lot of brands are now drastically reducing their high street outlets, either out of choice or because they can’t afford to keep them open. This has led many people to fear the end is nigh for high street shopping, as whole areas become virtual ghost towns, populated solely by betting or charity shops, mobile phone outlets and empty premises.
But there is still a role for the bricks and mortar outlet. Look at clothing for example - although larger brands such as H&M are experimenting with new online technologies that allow shoppers to see if an item will fit, many people still prefer to try things on before they buy. And other companies are popularising click ‘n’ collect, where customers will purchase something online but pop into the store to pick it up, thus not needing to wait in for the delivery driver.
Irreplaceable services
And of course the services industry is one that will continue to thrive no matter how far the internet progresses - you can’t get a cappuccino, or your hair cut, through a monitor, and you probably never will be able to!
Look also at health services - whilst it is now possible to have a very simple hearing or sight test over the internet, the vast majority of us would still much rather have it done in person, one-on-one, with a specialist. And given that hearing problems tend to mainly affect the elderly, who are for various reasons less comfortable with using the web anyway, companies such as Hidden Hearing that retain a high street presence are vital to their communities.
As the possibilities afforded by the internet and new technologies continue to expand, the future of the high street is unclear, but one thing is for sure - there’s no danger of it dying out just yet - instead it is adapting to the changes, with businesses and individuals finding new uses for spaces that were once used primarily for commerce.
And the services industries, such as those that provide us with hearing or eye tests, will continue to play a big role in keeping the high street alive.