Conversational commerce platform Maybe has asked 300,000 people for feedback on the role high streets currently play, the challenges they’re facing and their outlook.
The campaign ensures that thousands of people’s opinions will help shape the future of our high streets.
In the first ever survey of its kind, 300,000 members of the public in the #WDYT (What do you think?) community were approached using Maybe* technology through a series of Facebook posts and chatbots. Maybe* collected responses under the hashtag #myhighstreetmatters to collate the unique and valuable evidence on what the people who actually use high streets really want.
The campaign was undertaken in response to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee’s (HCLG) call for evidence to its high streets inquiry. Maybe* is believed to be the only organisation to have consulted the public and ensured their evidence was gathered to address all HCLG’s questions.
All campaign responses have been submitted to the HCLG ensuring the public’s opinions are included. The evidence and the recommendations that flow from it are particularly pertinent ahead of the publication of Grimsey Review 2 next week.
The public’s message was clear; people want vibrant, diverse high streets with lower business rates, better parking, more options for independent shops and more specific high street brands. The top line figures were:
- 78% worry about their high street
- 70% worry about shops closing
- 34% worry about the variety of shops
- 68% want new clothes stores
- 41% want more and better shops
- 29% want improved / free parking
- 24% want lower business rates
- 16% want a return to smaller, local shops
- 11% want less plastic usage / more recycling stations
- 11% want more youth activities & community / cultural events
RPA Perspective On top of these headline results, 45% of respondents shop on their high street at least once a week and more than 40% of people never shop online.
Polly Barnfield OBE, Founder and CEO of Maybe and the #WDYT campaign, said: “The #WDYT campaign is all about connecting people to their local high streets, so we opened the call for evidence to thousands of people whose voices may have otherwise gone unheard.
“There has been plenty of people giving their individual opinions on high streets but this consultation provides the only well rounded view of the desired future of our high streets, supported by the opinions of members of the public; the people that actually determine high streets’ success or failure.”
The Grimsey Review 2, tackling the issues facing the UK high street, is due to be published tomorrow and is expected to kick start a major debate on the future of local and high street retail in Britain.
