Shout about the good stuff in your town or city centre…
…and please don’t let empty shops dominate the narrative.
The message is the same whether you have significant vacancy numbers in the mid / high teens or over 20 per cent, or lower rates with some tricky long-term empty, landmark buildings and concern among residents and businesses about the changing mix of uses.
For sure have a tackling #highstreet vacancy-focused ‘place partnership’ in play to get agents, landlords, businesses, community, cultural organisations, councils, chamber and BID if you have one working together on identifying barriers and solutions, but take time too to highlight the positives.
‘Promote’ is a very important 4th element of our approach which also runs through ‘audit, engage, encourage’. It means the place and its businesses promoting what you have already, independents, nationals, in #retail, #hospitality, services, other uses, and features of your place that will attract people in.
Do include in that the vacants, but as an opportunity, with lettings details easily accessible if you have them.
How often do you look at local social media platforms or your traditional press and find all the talk and regular stories picturing boarded-up empties, is focused on the negative.
Like our friend Laura Harris who’s working with a growing network “to challenge the national media’s doom-and-gloom narrative”, it’s a crucial part of improving your own town and city centre too.
If your place is struggling with this issue and we can help, do please let us know…
