SAD LOVE QUOTES: How the High Street is being SAVED by the internet as people search for their best local shops

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

How the High Street is being SAVED by the internet as people search for their best local shops

Last updated at 1:32 PM on 20th July 2011

They've been saying for years that the High Street is a dying institution - and that the internet will deliver the fatal blow.

But it seems the web is actually helping local shops find new business, researchers said.

So-called 'New Villagers' are using social networks to seek out the best independent businesses in their area, according to the American Express Spendsetters Report.

Fight back: The traditional High Street, like this one in Colwyn Bay, is using the internet to drum up publicity

Although internet shopping has long been blamed for driving business away from the High Street, researchers have found that local shops are fighting back by using the internet to drum up publicity.

Social network websites provide 'a one-stop-shop to connect them to their local community and providers' by 'sharing information on local forums and Twitter'.

The report claims that because 'local shopping finds and tips' can now be more easily shared, independent businesses are no longer reliant on the word of mouth to attract customers.

Jeremy Baker, of the ESCP Europe Business School, said that the internet has 'strengthened consumer power, with shoppers having an immediate impact on how their local shops buy, source and showcase products'.

Nearly half of consumers are now using social networks to seek out the best independent businesses in their area

The Spendsetters Report also finds a general move towards local shopping, as nearly half of those polled say they try to use local retailers, and 32 per cent claim that their 'everyday purchases' are mostly bought locally.

Janet Davies, the proprietor of a boutique florist in Holborn, told the Daily Telegraph: 'A sense of locale has always been important to our long-standing clients.

'But with traditional community boundaries now being set by the internet we are using Facebook, Twitter and our blog to engage with our regulars as well as the growing number of shoppers who are not necessarily on our doorstep but are looking to champion their community.'

The study divides online shoppers into five categories: the 'New Villagers'; those who use the web primarily to save money; ethical shoppers; customers looking for personalised service; and those seeking out bespoke products.