Bricks & Mortar sales are having something of a renaissance but not necessarily in the High Street. Instead what we’re seeing is concerted growth in the number of concessions and lock-up units popping up in garden centres, motorway services, railway stations, and airports. It all points to locating where your target customers are going to be and getting in front of them.
Typically in today’s harried existence few have the time to shop at leisure but many do tend to head to garden centres for a more relaxed experience when they can. Indeed for many of a certain age the garden centre visit has evolved into an afternoon out with on site cafes, farm shops and deli counters, furniture and clothing, gifts and home accessories to browse – in addition, of course, to everything for the garden and the pets. Clothing sales in garden centres, for example, rose by 25.8 per cent this past August when the weather cooled, gifts were 6.7 per cent up, and food hall/farm shop sales up by 3.55 per cent, according to the Garden Centre Association. And as most garden centres are now turning their hands to creating Christmas displays, increasing numbers of people will be heading to them for decorations and gifts, as well as their Christmas trees and poinsettas, and the obligatory visit with children or grandchildren to Santa’s Grotto.
Newly renovated high footfall railway stations are also attracting a good selection of retailers keen to capture commuters, business and leisure travellers while they are waiting for their trains. Unsurprisingly many of these outlets are taking an upmarket turn so that the time poor can buy business clothing, toiletries, quality travel goods,watches and gifts in an environment that is edging towards that found in the airport shopping zones. Whilst large out of town supermarkets seem emptier of customers these days, their smaller station counterparts are packed with travellers buying food for their journeys as well as commuters buying the evening’s groceries.
Motorway services are also now attracting the likes of Cotton Traders whose offering sits very well in that environment. Many who commute by road or travel on business now select the motorway services they will use by the range of brands on offer there, so that they can use the chance to pick up a few items they need from, say, Waitrose or Marks & Spencer before grabbing a coffee and heading on their way.
Add this to the rise in collection locker installations and all of these “alternative” locations could prove very attractive indeed for seasonal pop-up stores or more permanent retail outlets.
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