1 in 3 shoppers call for more independent stores on UK high streets, but 10% are put off by their lack of web presence
Over 10 per cent of British shoppers claim that a lack of mobile/online presence is putting them off shopping in independent stores according to research from shopping inspiration app Udozi.
According to the survey of 2,000 Brits a third (33 per cent) would like to see more boutique stores open on their local high street, with one in five keen to shop at pop-up stores. Over 15 per cent of shoppers are keen to support local independent stores but cite lack of web presence (10 per cent), expense (60 per cent) and difficulty in finding them (15 per cent) as the main reason they turn to national chains.
“Despite the demand for more independent retailers on Britain’s high-streets, failure to keep up with the latest technological innovations such as mobile means that many potential customers are unable discover hidden boutiques. Independent stores need to evolve and learn to embrace all channels for customer engagement if they want to survive – especially in times of austerity,” commented Alan Gabbay, founder of Udozi.
In terms of national retailers, over 30 per cent of those surveyed said they were their number one shopping location, with John Lewis being the most popular store with 29 per cent of responses followed by Debenhams (28 per cent) and Primark (22 per cent).
The research found consumers’ main gripes with national chains include over-crowding (37 per cent), lack of stock (24 per cent), changing room queues (22 per cent) and not being able to find the right products (19 per cent). Food and drinks stores were found to be the most likeable shops, with over half (58 per cent) of respondents claiming they disliked their local high-street when looking for fashion items.