Britain’s excessive avenue could possibly be saved by ‘last hope’ subsequent yr by unlikely surge
The cure for Britain’s failing high street has potentially been revealed. Following on from years of devastation by way of store closures, a pandemic, online shopping and more, the high street has been turned into a swathe of empty shops, coffee shops and charity shops.
Many mainstay brands have disappeared – from Debenhams to Morphe – and seemingly nobody has been able to figure out how to save it from disappearing altogether.
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That is, until now after research from Lightspeed Commerce Inc showed that nearly 80% of Brits still shopped in physical stores, with most of those being part of the Generation Z group.
And they also found that Gen Z members – those born between 1997 and 2002 – were likely to increase their visits in 2025.
The study found that around 25% of Gen Z’ers also increased their high street spending compared to the previous year, with 28% more likely to make impulse purchase.
Ironically, it was found that those purchases were being fuelled by TikTok and Instagram, where more than 30% declared they would see a product but then go to a physical store to buy it.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Looking ahead to shopping in 2025, AI-powered personalised discounts top the list of what excites shoppers, with 39% looking specifically for tailored promotions. Other in-store innovations, such as self-checkouts (41%), and virtual fitting rooms (26%) are also seen as a pull for tech savvy shoppers.
The survey also found that 70% of consumers surveyed identify themselves as ‘Deals Shoppers’ meaning they actively seek out discounts, offers, and promotions, such as taking advantage of 2-for-1 deals (51%), switching retailers for better prices (39%), and waiting for sales (24%) before hitting the high street.
Liam Crooks, Managing Director of EMEA at Lightspeed, said: “It’s encouraging to see that people are not only planning to shop in-store next year but are also excited by the possibilities that AI and personalized shopping experiences can bring.”
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