Heather on the High Street Week In Week Out

What can be done to save our town centres? This woman has some advice

for traders struggling to survive. Do you know what people are saying

about you? I don't care. It is not good, it is empty. She takes on the

people in charge. That end of town looks grim. And we reveal where's

worst in Wales for empty shops and ask what's the future for our High

Streets. A traffic system you cannot get your head around, a town

centre that is a concrete mess. What is the future for the high

If a city should start selling itself as soon as you arrive,

Swansea's offer disappoints Dr Heather Skinner. The station's been

getting a welcome makeover, but the look of the place isn't too

encouraging. With street signs seemingly designed only for

motorists, how does Heather, an expert in place marketing, find out

where to go next? This is good. All of the stuff you need to know, and

information point. There is a link to local area maps, a fine tourist

attraction. Great, the nearest attractions. The Maritime Quarter,

the museum, art gallery. The Brecon Beacons, I don't understand.

much above the town centre yet. the town is the 24th listed nearest

attraction. Useless! It would be easier to have a stand or you can

buy a local map. The recession is reducing spending but that has come

on top of other trends affecting the high street. In Swansea, many

shoppers have gone missing. To find out why, Heather meets a mother of

two. How often do go shopping in Swansea? When my daughter bakes me

to go. I rarely go. I do not enjoy shopping in town. Why not? The

parking, I would go to Cardiff for more choice. She would prefer to

shop online and drive further afield than Swansea to go to an

out-of-town retail park. Anywhere except Swansea! With so many big

chains leaving the high street, had the believes and major changes

needed. How will we carry on with business as usual, attracting all

trying to attract national store chains? I really think Swansea

needs to get its act together and think about how it will grow its

local independent trading sector. There are some great businesses in

Swansea. In a recent survey, the retailers came out very well for

service and friendliness. But what they need to do to survive the

challenge? She has come to see three. First up, second to none on

the High Street. What does it sell? The window is all scuffed. It is

�10, that doesn't mean me think it's good quality. Second to none,

they are probably seconds. Peter has had the shop for a year. But he

is struggling. Everything is half price. She soon identify is a

problem. So, not just banks. gets out of hand. When you see bags

and shoes and the sale rail and T- shirts, is this seconds? No. It is

not a charity shop. Peter says there isn't enough passing trade so

he has to have a big range. Whoever thinks that's a mistake. How do you

entice them in with a window full of very nice bags. But perhaps less

is more. Perhaps less clutter, less jewellery and clothes and boots and

rings and bags. I sell a lot of bags. Why not have more Julien

Macdonald bags. I need to shift this lot first! She leaves are

advising people to think hard about his shops identity. She will be

back in a few weeks. Our high streets need to become destinations,

not just for shopping, but entertainment and leisure. Luke has

only just taken over this cafe in the last few weeks. He has a clear

idea of what he wants to do. way it is now, it is not viable to

keep it open as a cafe. No, it is lunchtime and it is empty! That is

not good. What will you do it's so drastic? It will be the one hand

cafe. We will be doing meals for a pound. We will also be doing larger

meals for �2 so a �1 bought and two pound bought. Pound shops are doing

well. That is the main thing, getting customers. My only worry

about that his long-term sustainability. What we call it in

three years or five years? That is immediate, it is of the moment. But

not necessarily sustainable. Your supplier prices will be going up.

Will that mean you have to take a hit on profits next year?

leaves advising luca macro to charge more otherwise he would

never make enough money to employ staff. It is so good and heartening

to see a young man about to set up his own business. It is very brave,

my worry is the pound idea is not sustainable. The hollowing out of

our town centres isn't just a Swansea problem. We've obtained

figures from the Local Data Company, one of the UK's most respected

gatherers of retail information. They've looked at the number of

empty shops in our top 18 town and cities. According to their figures,

seven places, including Swansea, have around one in five of their

shops vacant, with some even higher. Although our two businesses may

need more direction, they 're also operating in a High street where

dozens of shops have left, making trading conditions even worse. It

was time to meet someone whose organisation is trying to address

the underlying problems. Juliet Luporiniruns one of the city's best

known cafes and something called the BID, or 'Business Improvement

District'. It will be a busy day. It represents more than eight

hundred Swansea traders. An idea from America, it charges its

members a bit extra on their business rates. That pays for extra

initiatives, like cheap parking. The Townsend has suffered against a

backdrop of out of town shopping where parking is free. We have made

a priority to attracts foot fault back into the city centre so we

have had offers which we have run, there have been 300,000 free

transactions and visits since he started his offer. We have renewed

it to have three hours parking for the cost of �3 which is very

reasonable. Andy should encourage an increase in ft 4 in the city

centre. -- and it should encourage. Parking's one problem, but so is

the road system according to many traders. As Heather's about to find

out on her way to business number three. Just across that way and now

the traffic is going both directions across here. I don't

know how anyone can make it to the shops! With so many shops,

including some big names, having already left, clinging on here in

the Kingsway is even more difficult for Victoria's Bridal. It is a

great location, big windows. But the gold on the name is peeling off.

Hello, you must be jailed. I am. Pleased to meet you. What a lot of

colour. We like colour to draw people. We have to catch their eye.

Nothing can stop on the road! When we have around about the traffic

was going past all the time. People would stop all the time. Every

other town has got greenery and a park. It does look grim. We have

concrete! Heather is wondering whether Jill is doing enough

herself to keep her business afloat. She's been doing her homework and

found that Victoria's Bridal don't have a website, and the shop gets

some worrying reviews on others. you're a retailer with a website.

No. How do people know about your shop? It is word of mouth. I do not

like the internet! I haven't even got a mobile phone. When I checked

about the shops I was visiting, I did find some reviews about the

bridal salon, the most positive -- they were not the most positive. Do

you know what people are saying? do not want to know. I don't care.

Very rude and unhelpful. Horrendous service. Have you read everywhere

else is reviews on other shops? Heather's advice to Jill - get

online. I can understand why small retailers would be tempted to put

the blame for portrayed on everything else but there are

things some of these shops can do themselves. You really needs to

know what the customers are saying about you. I was amazed that she

did not know what was being said about the shop and only today

finding out. But Heather does think Jill has a point about the roads.

The Kingsway's not the only big change in the layout in recent

years. The eight-lane Westway, is another example, sweeps through the

middle of town. Critics argue these new roads have broken up the city

centre, disrupting pedestrian flows, creating dead space. The people say

it recent schemes have not been helpful. It was not well thought

out. I think that businesses ought to have been represented. Clearly,

councils drawing up strategic plans in the city centre leads to -- need

to understand the needs of business and customers and the business

improvement districts representing the views of the members are just

the sort of people who will be able to provide the necessary

information. Swansea's BID has only been going for a few years. A

recent report for Welsh Government recommends we should have lots more

of them to help save our high streets. Juliet believes BIDs can

help councils to avoid repeating the mistakes of past. It provides

the mechanism which fills the gap between the them and us situation

that many town and city centres face. It is them and us. Not so

much now, we have bridged the gap but it has been difficult in the

past because the council perhaps are unsure of what business is

needs are. But should we look to an organisation that has 800 diverse

members-everyone from Tesco to the local cobbler-for a coherent clear

vision of a city's future? What does Heather think? In the past it

seems as if that decisions have been taken in Swansea. They might

have contributed to the decline, the road system, some of the

decisions about where things are situated. Perhaps that will change

with the Business improvement District, it seems to be helping

with communication and seems to be helping with initiatives but is it

enough, is enough to stop the fragmentation of the retail

offering in Swansea? I am not sure. The organisation that represents

all of Swansea is of course the council and Labour are now back in

power following May's lection. It was time to meet the new leader and

ask whether he thought the days of There are a lot of issues that face

city centre traders. One of those is traffic management in the city

centre. We have promised no major roadworks in the future. We need to

what it business rates and whether we can get any mitigation for that.

What we all need to do is to recognise that they're making a

significant investment in the city centre. They are committed to

Swansea, their families are here and there committed. What is the

unifying vision? The Vision has to be that Swansea is a dynamic city

centre, up a unique city centre. That people will come here because

it is different. Having a vision is one thing.

Sticking to it is another. In this region, they're taking short-term

measures to deal with their empty shops but taking the long view as

well. Stokes Croft has been attracting a lot of attention and

heather has come to see it for herself. It is not your average

charity shop. Definitely not. like a designer boutique. Stokes

Croft has similar problems to Swansea. The empty shops here are

gradually being filled by something called meanwhile yes. -- use. It is

trying to get people into buildings by cutting deals also up Ruth Essex

has been helping with the revival. Three or four years ago, it was

empty. I spoke to the owner about using it for a temporary exhibition.

The owner was really happy. It brought it back to life. That deal

opened the door for 16 artists who are now a year trying to grow their

own businesses. It is below commercial rates and that is really

good because it provides start-up space to then test the market.

Connecting a landlord and a new tenant is not that easy, especially

if the new user has little money or unconventional ideas. Ruth bridges

that gap. Some potential tenants or at our two organisations are small

businesses might find it hard to use the correct language that

landlords or up to frame their project in a way that would be

understandable. I support prospective tenants and also

support landlords and getting their properties used again. UK town

centres will either have to shrink adapt. Retail gurus like Mary

Porter says there needs to be more diversity. This man runs the

People's Republic of stocks Croft, a socialist enterprise attempting

to revive the area through crafts. It finds itself through selling

pottery. They say they do not want handouts and all communities must

look to their own resources to survive. The actual community is

beginning to realise that it has its own strengths and the ability

to grow. How do local communities take control? It starts with baby

steps. Put someone into your public spaces of up the council were not

actually an enemy although they may seem like it most of the time. You

and the council should be the same thing. We seem to have developed a

situation where our bureaucracies have their own lives. It is really

about very gently taking control. Local artists are slowly improving

the public space themselves. Ruth Essex has now been asked by a

housing association in Swansea's high street to do the same thing

there. There have been some really good

examples here are how local people taking control of their local area

can really make a difference of up particularly the meanwhile use and

the groups of artists and creatives getting together to really show how

when people care about their local area, they can make a difference in

the high street. Back in Swansea's high street, new kid on the block

Luke is launching his new menu. From this point on, nothing is

Do you want to take our order? call, at Luke has got his mum and

dad in on their the off and even the customers are lending a hand.

You need somebody doing teas and coffees, taking orders and

delivering food and hand just kicking and cooking. It is ready

now. 15 minutes. That is not acceptable. Delicious. I will say

you not next week but the week after. It is ready now. It's just

been mental here. Next door, things are very

different for Peter. Has he listened to Heather's advice to

sell fewer, high quality goods? am going the whole hog and having a

boutiques they will shop. In here, I do not think it would work. It is

getting to him, there is no doubt about it. -- getting grim.

Heather is on the trail of what makes Swansea special. This was one

of the first cities to develop a marina and it forms a gateway to a

miles of golden beaches. Just along the bay from the city centre is the

Mumbles. For 20 years, Newton Road has been slowly developing a

distinctive feel centred on its location. It appeals to the place

marketer and heather. -- in Heather. Experts say high streets that offer

something different and unique are more able to survive the

competition of online shopping. Heather wanted to know more about

people who may shock and Swansea. - shop in. What a track you most to

shopping on the internet? It is easy. You can do it when you come

home and it comes into your door. If I had to drive into town, it

would be a whole evening taken up. If you could do all your shopping

online, would you? Probably, with the exception of buying presents

for people. When you go to the mumbles for shopping, why is that?

It is a lovely place with some little trinkets and bits and bobs.

Two years ago, we had a shopping trip to Cardiff and it was great

but it was the first time in a long while that we had done that. We

spend more time having lunch than shopping. The choices of Kira and

others are changing how it our high streets are being run. In the past

18 months, Swansea has lost nearly 6% of its chain stores. That is 24

times the UK average. The company who did this research say these are

significant findings, suggesting the big stores are concentrating on

fewer, bigger centres like Cardiff. The council says millions are being

spent trying to improve the centre and that it has bought land here

hoping that the developer called Hammerson can attract a major

anchor store or and other national change. Council officials had been

keen to emphasise to was the Parc Hammerson could play, but the

city's newly elected leader seems to have a more nuanced approach.

do not want to replicate what has happened elsewhere. I want to

provide a unique solution. I want to bring a development to Swansea

that is of scale to the city centre. The people here already are the

important people. We should not be chasing big-ticket people while

ignoring the huge investment happening on our doorstep. Local

politicians are often accused of being too opportunistic and

abandoning long-term plans to redly. What does Header think about

Swansea's new leader? My worry is that politicians can get blown off

course when the next headline- grabbing opportunity comes along.

Let's see if he can stick to his plans to regenerate Swansea and

make it more vibrant for the future cost up we put the survey figures

to the Welsh Local Government Association. They said councils

were doing their best to improve high streets despite considerable

financial pressure. Welsh government said we could not rely

on retail and high streets must be more diverse. Also, traders

themselves in needed to adapt. It is time for heather to revisit her

businesses. At Victoria's Bridal, gel is rescuing a customer in a

panic. The dress from China was an absolute nightmare. All the least

in the back was sticking out here and two of the buttons fell off

when I turned round. They're buying rubbish on the Internet and when

they come in, all right, some of them are lucky and to get nice

dresses, but most of them put the dresses in the bin or try to return

them. Whatever some online reviews say about Victoria's Bridal, this

custom and others cannot praise had enough. This is by far the nicest

shock. And by far the nicest people! For Jell, it is more proof

the internet cannot replace local personal service. Since I met you

last, have you done anything about the Internet? No, I have not.

Perhaps we will at a later date but at the moment, the business is not

about anyway. She does seem to be coming around to the suggestion to

get the business online in the future. I understand the

difficulties for this business and others like it in the area. A

concrete jungle with hardly anything on the high street and

even if people do come, it is difficult for people to get to the

shops. That is why I think she cannot ignore the online

environment but it is difficult to know what will happen to shops like

this if people do not change. about Peter's shop? Is refocusing

his identity now? There is a shame. Not a surprise but a big shame. I

did not think the business model was right, I did not think his

stock was right. Another NT shop on the high street. -- empty. But at

the �1 Cafe, Luke has taken on to workers. -- two workers. What you

think about the business model you have set up? It might be just a

honeymoon period at the moment where people have discovered this

new place and go there and bop a lot more than they would usually

and then a few weeks down the line... Do you think you will be

able to afford to take on employees if the work experience placements

Colwell and give them a job? Replacement was set up and it is

perfect for me because they get take these people on. If I get to a

level where they are selling enough a day to be able to afford to take

them on, although it would may be only be a part-time basis. Luke

appears to be doing well but the jury is still out on whether the

business is sustainable. His determination confirms to Heather

that the Welsh high street can have a future. The emphasis has to be on

a change of use for a high street, the encouragement of the creative

industries, the encouragement of local people who will be loyal to

the area up. I think Swansea could learn a lot from the stalks Croft

area of Bristol but that involves councils and other politicians

talking to each other and sharing what works. People were shopping

out of town and online. We're not going to stop that! I came here to

Swansea to see some of the problems indicative of her Welsh high street.

I really think Swansea has to get its act together and think about

how it can grow its local independent trading sector. Helping

them with low-rent saw free space to actually cry their ideas out and

grow them into businesses. Her final thought as she leaves is