Main Street Retail Review Q1 2018 1.1 Summary
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Main Street Retail Review 2018 www.gfsb.gi Sponsored by Product 4: Customer Service: Change customer service in an area with kerching’s Unique solution. Each customer is given a token when they buy and express how they thought the service was. Introduction shoppers have been considered when Commissioned by the GFSB, this study putting together these proposals. is based Customeron an independent is kingreview andof getsWe haveto express included some how ambitious good 255 business premises on and around plans to position Gibraltar as a leading Main Streetthere and Grandservice Casemates is - shops getshopping instant destination feedback. in Southern Square, this report highlights our Europe over the next 5-10 years. We perspective on current trading in have also focused on practical and Gibraltar’s commercial centre. pragmatic action that can be taken to Furthermore,Training we haveprogrammes made andfurther packs improve to the help retail retailersoffer and recommendations on how trading increase conversion in the area now. couldaddress be improved results. and maximised. Twenty key recommendations have This review excludes a detailed study been made within this report, requiring of retailers outside of the designated further discussion and action. area, as identified by GFSB. Feeder roads such as Irish Town or Engineer Lane were only viewed and considered for their impact on the city centre. Factors such as presentation, product Corin Birchall, Kerching Retail Ltd mix, offering and available February 22nd 2018 demographic data of visitors and local Kerching Retail Contact Information: Address: Kerching House, Email: [email protected] 8 Allfrey Close, Telephone: +44 7769 115366 Lutterworth, Web: www.kerchingretail.com Leicestershire, Twitter: twitter.com/kerchingretail LE17 4FH Facebook: facebook.com/Kerchingretail For use when the total For use when the total width of the logo <50mm width of the logo >50mm Main Street Review • Levels of street trading & whether Working population acceptable - does the store spill into An estimated 10,000 people enter The Brief: the road? Gibraltar across its border to work each To perform a review of all stores and • Product mix, in terms of its day. evening trade businesses on Main uniqueness Street and Casemates Square. Generate • Pricing strategy in market, re. terms Annual visitor numbers arriving by a clear picture of the opportunities for of premium or value offering land frontier the city centre. 2016: 9,463,700 Scores attributed to each element give 2017: 9,876,600 The review and subsequent report to consideration for what is practical for include: that business sector i.e. take-away Number of coaches arriving via land • The trading landscape - standards of businesses are unlikely to have a frontier retailing and evening economy dramatic window display with props, 2016: 6,931 • Traffic light system for traders (Red however could utilise vinyls and 2017: 6,972 needs urgent attention, Amber graphics effectively. The review does would benefit from business not give a specific score for the service Annual visitor numbers by air support, Green represents good received by customers, although any 2016: 270,067 retail practise and a potential beacon experience of the service may impact 2017: 277,784 for the area on the overall rating of a trader. • Points of focus required for Annual number of yachts arriving into subsequent training and Overview of Gibraltar Gibraltar development Local population 32,194 as of 2012 2015: 2,472 census. 2016: 1,523 The exercise examined: 2017: Year incomplete • Exterior presentation (signage, 0-14 years: 20.22% window frames, paintwork and any 15-24 years: 14.34% props) 25-54 years: 39.67% • Window displays and quality of 55-64 years: 9.68% visual merchandising within it 65 years and over: 16.09% (2017 est.) • Interior presentation Source: www.cia.gov Page 2 Annual visitor numbers by cruise There is a clear focus by Main Street 2016: Passengers 404,005, Crew 166,559 84% of arrivals by air are British traders towards British visitors. For 2017: Year incomplete. 60% of arrivals from coach park are many businesses, Brits are the main British, 29% other EU (excl. Spanish) source of income. We would draw Source: www.gibraltar.gov.gi 79% of arrival from cruise terminal are attention to the opportunity of non- British. 13% outside of EU. British visitors, who may not be a core In total an estimated 10.7m visits are Total visitors: 15% British, 80% element of income generation for the made to Gibraltar annually. 10,000 Spanish, 4% other EU and 1% outside following factors: local worker visits may constitute as of EU. • Suitability and appeal of product many as 2.5m of these annual visits offer Spend: • Prices, compared to Spain across the land frontier. This working Visitor Arrivals at Hotels £28m population and local residents should • Poor Euro exchange rates offered Excursionists from Cruises £10.3m • A British centric offer be considered part of the potential Visitors on Yachts £400k market for Main Street businesses too. Visitors in Supplementary £10m Summary of review: For many similar sized UK locations, Accommodation that have little to attract day visitors, In-Transit Visitors £2m Locations Reviewed: 255 local workers and residents are the sole Excursionists from Spain £117m source of retail income. The potential National Brands: 30 spend of these 40,000 people (30,000 TOTAL £168m Independent businesses: 211 local population + 10,000 workers) Vacancies: 14 (6%) 1 should therefore be included in The combined spend of visitors UK retail centre vacancy average: 11% retailer’s plans. arriving at the land frontier, is significantly higher than other sources Independent vs Multiple Arrivals by land frontier of spend. 87% of arrivals from the land A published study of Tourism in frontier were Spanish. The split of national retail and leisure outlets to smaller independents, shows Gibraltar from Jan - Dec 2014 gives www.gibraltar.gov.gi insight into the nationalities and a higher than average emphasis spending of visitors. towards independently owned 1 http://www.localdatacompany.com/reports Page 3 businesses. There are small clusters of comparison shopping (non-grocery national retailer brands along Main spend). Retail Street. The retail offer is dominated by 83% independent brands. Measuring leakage, through frequent survey, is useful for measuring the impact of any interventions. National Brand Independent It is not unusual for a town centre to F&B Main Street 12% 88% experience comparison spend leakage 17% (non-grocery spend) as high as 90%. A 1% shift in leakage, therefore, through UK Centres 33% 67% interventions, can increase local’s Bistro spend by 10%. 52% ! 0 25 50 75 100 Retail, Food & Beverage Leakage Coffee/Cafe 83% of the occupied properties Takeaway Pub 10% 19% Leakage is the loss of catchment area reviewed on Main Street and 19% spend to other shopping locations. Casemates Square were retail premises. Competing centres are a key driver of 17% offered food and beverage. Most of the pubs offered food and leakage from city centres, rather than some outdoor seating. internet spend as some might Of the food and beverage businesses, perceive.2 The close proximity of 52% were bistro/restaurant. Takeaways included ice cream and Centro Comercial Gran Sur and a one 4x premises were stand alone coffee/ sandwich shops. hour drive to Parque Comercial La tea shops. Costa Coffee was the only Canada is likely to be a source of branded coffee house, with 2x There lacked a more premium F&B leakage from local residents, branches. offer on Main Street and Casemates particularly for fashion and 2 Investigating the Customer Experience of City Centres, Loughborough University - Summary Report April 2013 Page 4 Square. Queensway Quay did have a Queensway Quay. Whilst offering a entertainment, along with Casemates provision of these. Popular branded high quality experience, neither Square and the space outside eateries could be found at Ocean appeared to attract large numbers of Debenhams and the ICC. Village. visitors. It is a very long shopping street and reports from traders suggest the Daytime & Evening Economies Steps to address visitor numbers to majority of shoppers start to peter out either harbour are beyond the scope of at Mothercare or M&S, when traveling Main Street started to wind down from this study. It seems likely, however, North to South. early evening. Most stores were closed that improving footfall to these areas by 6pm a few traded to 7pm. Pubs will be a matter of easier navigation A linear shopping street is simple to stayed open but due to them being and marketing the various offers. promote and market. For shoppers, a spread along Main Street and feeder need to return to the starting point can roads, they did not offer visitors a The Retail Layout be a deterrent to continued walking clustered evening experience as such. along the full length of the street. Main Street shopping spans 1 km North to South, plus 100m across The primary entry point to Main Street Casemates Square. The street is appears to be Casemates Square. flanked by 3 & 4 story properties for Visitors arriving by coach tend to filter much of the run. The majority of the into the centre from John Mackintosh. street is pedestrianised and traditional Car parks are likely to feed visitors street furniture creates a pleasant feel. from North, South or John Mackintosh entry points. There is some greenery in the form of trees along Main Street. The street For the purpose of gateway signage widens at John Mackintosh (opposite into Main Street, we would focus on Main Street 6:30pm Mothercare) and the Cathedral of St these three entry points: North, South Mary (opposite M&S). These spaces and John Mackintosh. See proposal 4.1 Much of Gibraltar’s evening economy offer some respite from the congestion offer was centred at Ocean Village and in narrower parts of Main Street.