Mary Portas calls Bill Grimsey’s claim that her view on the high street is a nostalgic PR stunt ‘completely rubbish’
Mary Portas has said that claims by Bill Grimsey, former boss of Wickes and Iceland, that her 2011 review of the high street was nostalgic and a PR stunt to promote her TV series are ‘completely wrong’.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Portas said: “I don’t want to start a row with Bill, but it’s rubbish to say this is for my PR or my TV series. This was me going to government saying there’s a crisis on the high street and we need to do some research.
“I wasn’t paid, it wasn’t about PR or a TV series – and I’m not the one with a book out on the back of it.”
Her retort came a day after Grimsey said: “It simply isn’t good enough to just wring our hands and reminisce about the good old days on the high street. We have to work as never before to create a new, invigorated environment that will attract people into our town centres, reborn as welcoming and lively community hubs.
“Retail may not be the anchor for the high street of the future, but more footfall will surely help to drive a retail revival.”
Portas discussed her review – and the criticism it brought – while speaking at the Edinburgh International TV Festival.
At this point, she said she believes the role of the high street has been changed by the advent of digital but that its role is about “so much more than shops".
Commenting on the issue, Dan Cohen, industry expert and regional director at Tradedoubler, said: “There’s no doubt that the retail landscape has changed almost beyond recognition in the past decade, but suggesting knocking them down to make way for additional housing developments is a sign that the government has conceded defeat when it comes to the regeneration of the British high street.
“It’s unquestionable that many retailers are still struggling, but what they need is help to adapt to the current climate & the changing way in which consumers interact with brands and how they shop, rather than being forced out of their bricks and mortar stores. It’s true that without a digital presence, retailers will fade away very quickly but the solution is to help them create a multi-channel strategy.
“Tradedoubler’s own research shows that 60 per cent of connected consumers use their smartphones whilst out shopping to look-up information on a product they see in a store and check for better prices elsewhere. Retailers need to accept and embrace this change in consumer behaviour, and use technology to implement a seamless approach to their customer experience, whether this is online, in-store or on mobile. If they do, they’ll find themselves in a more positive position to really appeal to customers that are more fixated on price rather than particular retail brands.”