Retail

During the summer as meetings reduced we decided to use the quieter weeks to get out and about. Calling it meeting-free Fridays we managed to keep to it over five weeks during the summer, moving existing meetings to phone calls or keeping the day clear....

We recently visited Woolwich for the first time, an area with a long history and importance to London. A walk with The London Society explored the municipal architecture of the town centre, it took in all styles of architecture and streetscapes from Victorian and Georgian to art deco...

The Fabric District CIC is working to develop the area a few minutes walk away from Lime Street station in Liverpool. It is home to historic buildings, indie businesses with a growing hospitality and creative sector and an international food offer.Its neighbours include University of Liverpool, The...

We were fortunate to spend a few days in Athens this month, a city we'd been meaning to visit for a while and we weren't disappointed.Aside from the big sights (as good as we imagined), we really enjoyed exploring the many different neighbourhoods that make...

With Christmas just literally a few days away, there have been many initiatives, campaigns and tactics used to drive people to shop local, but could it be easier? Especially now, as small businesses are more impacted by the new variant which is deterring people from...

Last year, when it looked like Covid-19 lockdowns were a thing of the past, we interviewed Damian Patchell, Markets Manager for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets as he prepared to reopen some of London’s most well-known markets including Petticoat Lane, Brick Lane, Roman Road and...

England’s first lockdown saw most high streets and town centre’s physical stores close, which resulted in a huge increase in online shopping. Whilst lockdown 2 is lighter, there are still huge disparities between what is classed as essential and non-essential and markets vs shops with...

As a trustee at The London Society, we hosted a panel discussion last week on London’s high streets. We know that the lockdown has affected current patterns of working, shopping and eating out. Local high streets are reporting some recovery, but central areas are still seeing footfall...

As reopening continues at pace across high streets and town centres, we adapt to new ways of moving around and accessing shops and services, it’s easy to lose track of what opened when. Whilst it often appeared that reopening dates were set at short notice,...

During the lockdown, we’ve been attending a number of webinars which has definitely been positive, as it’s easier to fit them into the day or catch-up later as opposed to taking time out for an event but the two (live and online) are not quite...