West End Commission
British Retail Consortium Evidence
About the BRC
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is the lead trade association for the UK retail sector and the
authoritative voice of the industry to policy makers and the media. We represent the whole range of
retailers, from small independents through to the large multiples and department stores, selling a
wide selection of products through centre of town, out of town, rural and virtual stores. Retail is a
key driver of prosperity. The sector generated £303bn of sales in 2011 – equivalent to one fifth of UK
GDP. We are also the UK’s largest private sector employer, providing jobs for almost 3 million
people.
Developing a shared strategic vision
The West End is an asset of very great importance to both the capital and the wider country. As
would be expected, it has an accompanying level of significance for the UK retail sector. Retailers
invest extremely extensive resources to ensure that the West End is a successful and vibrant
environment in which to trade.
Looking beyond retailers’ individual investment in shops and stores, nowhere is that contribution
clearer than in relation to the local partnerships which play a vital role in the commercial areas that
they serve. In particular, both the New West End Company and Heart of London play an extremely
important role in the success of the West End. Their clear focus is to deliver sustainable solutions
aimed at the barriers to trade and growth affecting the areas in question. We consider these bodies
to be an extremely effective method to obtain revenue, agree a shared vision and deliver additional
services within the locations concerned. Looking more broadly, the BRC strongly supports the role
which effective Business Improvement Districts can play in local trading environments.
Far greater co-ordination is needed to achieve an accompanying compelling vision for the broader
West End. The area comprises significant retail, leisure and commercial functions. It also
incorporates a significant proportion of central government functions and a range of nationally
important cultural assets. The resulting complexity demands a clear co-ordinating vision for the
West End but this has yet to emerge in a persuasive form.
Such an approach is essential if the West End is to realise its true potential. There is a clear need to
address the risks associated with possible future fragmented decision-making, which would
inevitably fail to take account of competing concerns and priorities across relevant areas of the
district.
A clear economic plan
We recognise that futurology is an extremely difficult science. Trying to develop detailed plans which
anticipate all possible developments in the short and/or medium term can be challenging enough,
without trying to develop such plans for the longer term. The extent of ongoing social, economic and
commercial developments clearly illustrates the extent of this challenge. Nevertheless, it is essential
to maintaining the West End’s leading position that an agile, responsive economic plan is put in
place to provide clarity for everyone.
The heart of the new vision must be a clear economic plan which supports the interests of West End
consumers, employees and businesses. This should incorporate a strong forward looking dimension,
so that businesses of all sorts are able to make clear and informed investment decisions in
possession of all relevant information. This should be underpinned by a clear focus on promoting
and maintaining stability across the local commercial environment, so that businesses can have
confidence in their ongoing ability to invest, trade and act effectively.
At the same time, concrete steps should be taken to market the West End effectively. It is widely
considered that there is scope to introduce a more strategic approach to the way in which the area
as a whole is promoted.
Meeting Changing Consumer Demand
Successful retailing is predicated on understanding and meeting changing consumer wants and
needs. The West End needs to replicate this approach and respond accordingly. Consumer
expectations will continue to rise as new methods of shopping and purchasing also develop.
Increasingly sophisticated customers have come to expect enhanced shopping experiences and high
quality destinations. Shopping has itself become part of broader a leisure activity, with people
combining their retail experience with cultural, dining and entertainment opportunities. A seamless
connection between, and co-ordination of, the daytime and night time economies is essential if the
West End is to meet this new potential.
Accessibility and transport
Attracting sufficient footfall in as easy and dependable a way as possible is fundamental for any
retail destination, irrespective of location. Easy access is also essential for retail staff and deliveries.
Weak transport links and badly designed public transport options deter visitors, curtail visits and
stifle business potential. The West End cannot be immune to these considerations. For many
retailers, accessibility and transport are among the most important factors affecting their
commercial activities in the West End.
The focus must be on ensuring that the needs of people are prioritised over the needs of traffic. In
practice this must mean a clear focus on reducing traffic in key locations such as on Oxford Street
and elsewhere, where too often the scale and nature of traffic flow acts to the detriment of all those
who live and work in the area concerned. This traffic reduction should be a particular priority during
peak visitor periods.
The long term goal must be to achieve significant reductions in vehicle usage on the busiest retail
streets and providing greater pedestrian space in those locations. Consideration should be given to
possible extensions of pedestrianisation where this could be achieved without disproportionately
impacting vehicle access.
Such reductions should be accompanied by more traffic-free days, focussed around peak retail
periods during Christmas, summer and other key weekend periods. The evidence to date shows that
these can have a material positive impact on commercial activity during the period in question.
Each of these elements clearly illustrates the earlier call for a longer term strategic vision for these
locations.
Ease of delivery is particularly crucial for retailers. The obvious challenge is to balance the need to
reduce costs and streamline operations with the need to have high quality products available at all
times. In striving to ensure their supply chain is as efficient as possible, retailers make a conscious
effort to avoid traffic congestion and similar considerations. They avoid peak travel by making use of
the road at night. However, store access in High Street areas is often restricted by delivery curfews
as a result of restrictions put in place many years ago. Unfortunately curfews often fail to take
adequate account of the significant advances in technology that have led to significantly quieter
deliveries in recent years. Given the success of the temporary relaxation which took place during the
Olympic period, we believe that delivery curfews across the West End could be reconsidered on a
case by case basis.
Developing a modern public realm
Developing and maintaining an attractive and effective trading environment is crucial to the success
of retail locations. Customers, employees and businesses must feel a High Street is safe, welcoming
and clean. A thriving retail destination will comprise:
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Social spaces
Distinctive places
Effective signage
Appropriate street furniture
Good quality lighting
While significant progress has been made in a number of parts of the West End to deliver a modern
public realm much more remains to be done. We consider that a more ambitious strategy is needed
to develop appropriate plazas and other public spaces which allow people to shop, eat, relax,
socialise and play.
Street management must be a particular area of focus for any new strategic approach in the West
End. The problems which exist in this area are well documented and require thorough and coordinated activity between local authorities, public agencies and private interests. These are
particularly needed to ensure that robust roadwork/utility plans are in place with meaningful
penalties being applied for non-adherence. Effective communication plans must be put in place to
ensure that awareness of roadworks and similar disruption are communicated in a timely and
appropriate way to all concerned, to enable robust mitigating steps to be taken.
Robust enforcement action is needed to tackle the unauthorised street trading which can in many
cases have such an adverse impact on local trading environments. Such enforcement needs to be
particularly strongly enforced during peak trading hours.
Safety and security
Shoppers will only choose to visit a high street if they feel that it is safe. Such considerations will not
only apply to them personally witnessing crime. It also encompasses the after effects of retail crime
and anti-social behaviour, such as graffiti and vandalism. This means that it is essential to the success
of a trading environment to deter and address all forms of retail crime and anti-social behaviour, and
to restore damaged property as quickly as possible. A visible police presence can make a very
significant contribution to deterring criminal activity and should be considered a priority across the
West End.
This highlights the importance of ensuring that the police and other relevant law enforcement
agencies are fully involved in future strategic partnership working. For our part, we are working
closely with the Metropolitan Police at a senior level to assist them to tackle retail crime effectively
in the capital.