Simple piece of expertise may ‘save the British High Street’ in run as much as Christmas

Technology which shows ­local shop stock levels in real time “could save the high street.”

Independent shopkeepers are fighting back against online giants such as Amazon in the run-up to Christmas by ­uploading their inventories online.

Anyone searching for a product on Google, Facebook, Instagram and Uber can then see the closest location, with ­updates every 15 minutes.

Jane Taylor, of Morris Mica DIY store in Redditch, Worcs, has seen her products appear in six million local customer searches since using the system.

She said: “We’re getting people come and say, ‘I’ve seen this on the internet’, and show us a picture of a Google search.”

Nick Brackenbury of NearSt – one of the firms which can link stores to the tech – told the High Street Matters podcast : “We’re helping retailers show exactly what is in stock right now so customers can solve their needs at a shop that’s just down the road.”

Shopper Lucas Britton posted: “I really like this idea. I often resort to Amazon for speed, knowing there are many reasons I shouldn’t be putting more money in its pocket.”

The news comes after high street store, Homebase was sold in a rescue deal to retailer CDS in a move securing up to 1,600 jobs and 70 stores.

But around 2,000 workers and 49 shops still remain at risk. The major high street DIY chain completed the sale to CDS, which trades as The Range and wilko.

This is in addition to the 11 UK stores sold off to Sainsbury’s, with the retail giant exchanging on a further three. The remaining 49 UK stores will continue to trade as normal while Teneo continues discussions with interested parties.

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