NORTHERN Ireland shoppers are choosing to abandon clicks for bricks and get back to their local high streets and stores, a Barclays survey has found.
They're doing it with confidence too, with 74 per cent of respondents in a Barclays Corporate Banking 'Retail Unlocked' research document saying they have felt safe, or very safe, to return to physical shopping.
And 42 per cent in Northern Ireland are planning on stepping up their in-store shopping over the coming year while nearly half of participants admitting it's their favourite way to shop.
It comes as votes continue to flood in for the Irish News/Retail NI 'High Street Heroes' initiative which highlights the massive contribution independent retailers make to our high streets and the economy.
Voting continues until July 30 at www.irishnews.com/heroes to seek out retailers who have been the heartbeat of our high streets during this last difficult year, and the public can have its say across 12 different categories.
The Barclays research predicts that up to 17,000 local high street stores could open across the UK in the next 12 months as shoppers adapt to a post-lockdown world by ‘looking local’.
Adrian Doran, head of Barclays Corporate Banking in Northern Ireland, said: “This paper shows how innovative retail businesses are looking to build back better to meet the challenges of a reshaped and revitalised retail landscape.
“While e-commerce has been the undisputed winner of the pandemic, not far behind are community high streets, as shoppers seek to ‘look local’ and support the stores on their doorstep.
“With the continuation of home working, this shows no sign of slowing down, and retailers are now looking at evaluating their store estates to meet local demand.”
He added: “The contemporary customer expects retailers to serve their needs - for speed, convenience, locality and, increasingly among younger demographics, for a sustainable ethos.
“The ability to deliver on these expectations with minimal friction – often by leveraging data and technology – will be pivotal in deciding who will win, and retain, customers in the future.
“I'm consistently impressed at how innovative, agile businesses are adapting their strategies to survive and thrive across the whole shopping journey.”
Other findings from the Retail Unlocked report show that:
· Three in ten (29 per cent) retailers are looking to entice more people back to physical stores by laying on experiences such as concerts and exhibitions.
· Since re-opening, over half (52 per cent) of retailers are seeing an increase in the average spend of customers, with average purchases up 9 per cent on pre-pandemic levels.
· The most in-demand items, according to 45 per cent of retailers, are products that promote a healthy lifestyle. Younger people are more motivated by products of this type: 23 per cent among 25-34s compared to just 13 per cent of over-55s.
· Two fifths (38 per cent) of retailers also report an increase in demand for sustainable products with a reduced environmental impact.
· 40 per cent of retailers now employ data-led marketing to acquire more customers.
· Retailers are overwhelmingly optimistic about future growth, with 80 per cent confident of growth over the next 12 months, including 41 per cent who are very confident.
