Very engaging podcast. It was good to hear from those who use the town centre as well as the retailer. All the points raised are relevant to town centres across the country and I feel that something needs to be done so that we don’t lose our high street retailers. Shopping needs to change with the times and some good points were raised about a mix of food and entertainment in the town centre.

The majority of town centres are like this at the moment. It’s so convenient to be sit on your sofa and do your online shopping whilst coronation street is on in the evening. There needs to be an attraction to the town but not everyone is entertained by the same thing. Huddersfield definitely needs way more shops and way more options but with Leeds and Meadowhall an hours train journey away how can it compete.

An interesting piece highlighting the challenges faced by just about every town centre in the country. I suspect that there is a wider issue at the heart of the problem relating travel, parking and accessibility. Certainly, there is pressure from online sales and out of town shopping centres. The successful future of our towns therefore lies in making the experience more attractive - easier travel options, a balance between retail and entertainment and even a review of rates, etc. to encourage the regrowth of retail.

I agree that in order to get towns to thrive, you should have seperate sections, each dedicated to something different. Huddersfield would really benefit from a revamp of its main area, as it feels like a quickly dying town. Bringing in more businesses, helping to make sure current ones are profitable, and an actual rebranding and rebuilding of the town would make it feel more hospitable, and prevent potencial customers from going elsewhere to spend their money.

Tackles a question that’s only going to grow in importance as town centres decline, mainly due to online competition. Perhaps compare Huddersfield’s demographics with other towns who are closest matches who are perceived to have a more successful town centre and work towards getting the % mix of leisure vs retail vs residential the same? Also break each down into sub categories and again try to replicate %s of a successful model town centre? Include open green spaces into the equation and account for public transport links, how close to 24/7 available?

Excellent piece, it’s great that you’re highlighting the crisis in our town centres.

A thought-provoking report about a topical issue. The question about entertainment or retail is a difficult one to answer. It is hard to see how high street retailers are going to attract shoppers away from the convenience of their screens or the comfortable shopping malls with ample parking. My local high street is nearly all cafes and charity shops. However that’s better than having them boarded up.

I personally think this podcast is very upbeat and engaging, I think there tends to be a lot of entertainment rather than retail because the shops don’t always have what you are looking for. Therefore I believe that new shops should be opened in Huddersfield so that retail starts to become more popular again.

A really interesting podcast which discusses what the best mix of retail and entertainment should be. It also highlights the significant challenges that town centre retail stores face in the ever advancing online / ecommerce world. Retail shops just can't compete with the likes of Amazon as the overheads of online retailers, such as property rental costs and business rates, are significantly less. Online retailers can also pass on the advantages of economies of scale and offer a huge selection to the consumer without them ever leaving their home. We've seen in the last decade how retail stores, who only have the same offering as online stores, don't survive - Toys R Us, Jessops, Mothercare, Comet.... the list goes on. They need to adapt and provide a unique experience to give consumers a reason to visit and whilst they are there, tempt and encourage them to purchase with reasons other than price. In many larger cities we've seen how enticing consumers into the city centre has a knock on effect to retailers - people visiting the Christmas market, going to a street food event or visiting a cinema will often also provide a reason to purchase from retail stores whilst they're 'in town'. However, it should also be easy and affordable to get into the city centre therefore transport infrastructure is just as important. The key to stop the decline of the high street must surely be to provide a really interesting mix of reasons why consumers want to visit the town centre both during the day and in the evening.

Interesting podcast highlighting the struggles of the high street retailer and what attracts the consumer to go there. It is apparent that the decline in Town Centres and high streets is down to high business rates, lack of business support, out of town retail, online shopping, accessibility and high rental costs. One thing which may improve the prospect of the revitilisation of town centres is the preference of the ever increasing number of retirement living providers to locate developments within easy reach of the high street and amenities. The majority of these will have less than 1:1 parking provision and therefore proximity to the high street will be a key requisite for location. Populating the high street during the day with a captive audience will bring a sense of community where coffee shops and cafes can thrive by day, as can small retail outlets, whilst pubs and restaurants can attract a wider audience at night. Council and government planning policy can encourage such development by reduction in planning charges and easing of other planning restrictions, as well as reduction of business rates for town centre businesses.

Very interesting piece and you are looking at an issue that many town centres are facing. Retail will continue to come under pressure from on-line. As a result the shops that survive need to really differentiate themselves. At the same time I think landlords need to be more flexible and understand that by trying to squeeze rents up they force retailers out. Once there are empty units it becomes a vicious spiral downwards as less and less people visit city centres. That being said, if people really want their city centres to thrive, they need to support them. This means encouraging independent outlets even if their prices are slightly higher. If we don’t our city centres will disappear and with them the heart and soul of our towns and this will lead to the decline of the local economy which will have dire consequences.

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