What Will The High Street Look Like In The Future?

It’s no secret what state high streets around the world are in. Online shopping has been around for years and its continued impact on physical stores has been duly noted by the public. Some people have responded to this by changing their shopping habits to support their local stores, while others have written off any chance of a high street resurgence and moved fully into a digital retail routine, opting for social media shopping over a Saturday browse. So what does the future hold for the (once) beloved high street?

Goodbye gambling?

Betting shops have become a staple on our high streets in the last decade, with numerous brands popping up across cities and towns to attract punters. We may see one on every corner now, but is that about to change?

Just like retail, the advent of online alternatives may be about to kill off the traditional betting shop. There are numerous online gambling websites available for all types of gamblers, from virtual poker games to betting apps giving users the option to bet on hundreds of sports games a day. Whatever your game of choice is, there’s an option to play with hundreds of other gamblers at the click of a button every minute of every day. This has already had an impact on the health of betting chains across the country.

That being said, we may see these smaller betting shops close on high streets across the world, but the biggest cities will continue to operate large scale casinos for people looking for an experience rather than a quick flutter. If that sounds like you, then check out this list of London Casinos to make sure you’re betting your money in the best casino in London.

Food and drink domination

Walk down your local high street and count the number of coffee shops you see, I guarantee it will outnumber any other kind of store you see.

It’s a bit of a cliche, but almost every free space that opens up on a traditional high street will quickly get taken over by a new coffee shop. Chain or local independent, it doesn’t matter, they’re everywhere and everyone loves popping into them, whether they’re shopping or not.

It feels like food and drink are the only product anyone can make a profit off of on high streets any more. When clothing stores start to shut their doors, you’re going to see more and more restaurants and coffee shops take their place. People may not have the income to go out for meals like they once could, but they’re more frequently finding the funds to grab a bite to eat at less formal, more specialist spots while out on the high street.

Pop-up potential

The potential of pop up stores is one that’s yet to be fully realized on high streets across the world but might be the key to getting younger crowds back into physical stores.

A pop-up store involves a business moving into a temporary unit for a short period to sell their products. The temporary availability and minimalistic design of the spaces give an exclusive feel to whatever is being sold there, allowing companies to either charge more for one-time products or build their brand name with a high-profile event. This sort of store does bring in a different kind of crowd too, one more concerned with purchasing exclusive items regardless of price and shopping for the experience rather than necessity. This could be the end of high-street staples and an increase in designer items.

Expect to see more spaces rented out on temporary contracts to suit this pop-up nature. With rent for stores going up significantly every year and more and more businesses being priced out of operation because of this rising cost, the idea of a temporary stay at a fixed price that can be used to boost online awareness and sales sounds more appealing. This is less a revival of high street retail though, and more one that complements online growth.

Entertainment environments

As so many more aspects of our lives move online and people take up careers that remove the social aspect of work such as freelance, the public is heading out to the high street not in search of shopping, but entertainment.

Bars, restaurants and clubs cover some aspects of this, but more specialist amenities have popped up in recent years to draw people away from video games and streaming platforms. Escape rooms are a perfect example of this. The growing experience brings people together and offers something they can’t simulate from the comfort of their own home. A lot of these entertainment spots are seen as alternatives to indoor living. Climbing centers have also seen a resurgence, as people look to make exercise a social experience.

Despite what some say, the high street itself isn’t finished. It may end up taking a different appearance to the one we’ve all become accustomed to over the past 30 years, but evolution is the future over complete decimation.