THE FUTURE OF RETAIL IS BRIGHT

21-10-2017

There is an increasing demand for shops in the Gauntlet in Glastonbury, that seems to be replicated in many town centres throughout the Uk. This could indicate a return to the High street by many shoppers.

There are many other factors that are instrumental in increasing retail take up such as Business rates reductions /adjustments on thresholds , parking concessions,and an increase in yields for investors. Many traditional Buy to let investors have recently been abandoning their Buy to Let for investment in the commercial /retail sector.

Of course one if the most expensive costs of having a shop is the staffing and In the Far East there are shops popping up whereby technology is replacing staff. Serving customers through smart technology which can be operated through a website or the shop itself means that there is no need to staff, saving a large portion of their overheads. There are self service / smart shops developing all over the world and that looks to be influencing the future of retail. The upfront initial costs are high but after the set up soon gives a return on the investment.

Whether this new trend will sustain or whether it be just a craze remains to be seen , but we all want our town centres to not just survive but to thrive and it makes sense that the combination of the physical shop and technology surely points to a brighter more positive future.



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