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Retail in The City
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Retail in the City
Plans for retail development have been high profile recently, particularly those concerning the Paradise Street Development Area (Click here for further details). Proposals such as these, by the developers Grosvenor, offer new opportunities for Liverpool, but paradoxically can act as a constraint on emerging forms of enterprise. The way this is perceived is through two contradictory perspectives.
Liverpool needs to differentiate its retail experience from other places. The City is in need of a viable and sustainable retail mix that includes small independents and major brand names.
One view is that Liverpool city centre should look to entice the major world brand retailers. It is a fact that developers will attempt to maximise their capital investment by seeking to attract such names. The major stores, where the first couple to locate often act as an ‘anchor point’ in the local retail environment, bring in a range of customers who are looking to purchase what are seen to be proven brands. These stores are available elsewhere, in places such as Manchester and Leeds, and to an extent, the city is measured as a place to visit based on their availability.
The alternative view is to suggest that the smaller independent retailer will, in fact, provide the differentiation needed to take Liverpool as a prestigious retail centre with difference, to the international market. The similarity in ethos held by major retail players has produced a set of generic products that, some argue, restrict individual choice and consumption. If this approach is pursued within the City, then the question is why would people from outside Merseyside travel to Liverpool, to shop for the same goods that are available in the same format, in every other town and city. This line of reasoning sees the independent retailer as an important necessity to help Liverpool stand out on a world stage.
It is true that a more diverse and competitive retailing sector for Liverpool would be different, not least because it would buck major trends in retailing that have seen the demise of the small retailer from the mid 1960s. It is also unlikely that smaller independents would be able to price themselves into the new developments such as that in Paradise Street. Under such conditions, it is advantageous for retail entrepreneurs to consider alternatives, such as achieving proximity to the professional base, or appealing to families and their associated spending, and by purposely aiming at those who are either working downtown or living downtown. Thoughtful planning to target niche markets could act as an attractor to other likeminded small independent retailers. Yet this will not happen on its own, particularly in an era of large retail dominance and will likely test those charged with developing the downtown district.
Associated links :
Liverpool Paradise Street Project
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