Part 3 The Modern Industrial Revolution

Is the high street doomed or will it contract a little or will it adapt?

We’ve spoken to hundreds of retail and service suppliers and we are observing some trends. Many small to medium retailers are change averse and want to struggle on just as they are.

The changing customer habit in high street retail.

In this respect, for some there is a self fulfilling prophesy:

…I get no customers from the web – so I don’t bother to cater for web customers…
…I don’t cater for web customers – so I get no customers from the web…
…and so on

There’s a lot of ‘I don’t…’ and ‘I have never tried…’ and ‘I’m happy with the way things are….’ in the language used. There’s an unfamiliarity and state of mind issue for some.

Perhaps in order for the high street retail to survive going forwards the mindset needs to change and there may be a different breed of retailer to embrace their customers new behaviours on the web and work with it.

Like any business – there are many things you need to do

• you have to do the accounts
• you have to do the tax returns
• if you employ people you have to know about employment law and pensions
• you have to…
• you have to…
• you have to embrace the web…..or do you?

And that last point IS THE POINT. All the rest you HAVE to do. Embracing the web, well, many are in denial, ignorance is bliss, but it’s tragic to behold.

So many are not yet adapting to the new industrial revolution happening around them. But the customers have embraced this revolution ALREADY and in some cases completely.

It really is now the survival of the fittest and I am sure the best will win out in the end.

As Einstein is reputed to have said ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting something different to happen.’

Make the web work positively for you and embrace the new revolution. With the squeeze on cost of living, this means that it is even more important to do so.

Next up what else can you do with Google Tours?

www.sciarts.co.uk

© Arenaphotouk | Dreamstime.com - Victorian Shops, Dudley. Photo