4 Old Fashioned Retail Trends That Are Returning To The High Street
While a number of technological advancements are taking place across the high street, from AI checkout services to customer-focused AR experiences, there are also a number of so-called old-fashioned trends and designs being revived too.
There are a number of reasons that elements of the past are being revived within high street stores, some of which are an example of counterculture, especially as a number of customers remain unsatisfied with certain elements of e-commerce, especially the lack of experience and personality involved with online transactions.
We’re sharing four ways in which we’re seeing the high street search through retail history to revive or sustain old fashion trends, those that are being celebrated by staff and customers alike.
Local Delivery
For much of the same reason milk deliveries are becoming a once more familiar sight in the early morning, stores are focusing on their local courier services, seeking to meet greater demand for efficient delivery options. Many small and independent retailers trialed delivery services during periods of lockdown and have since established them as a regular part of their business operation.
Delivery services meet the demand for both convenience and locality. Customers not only want to obtain their products as quickly as possible, generally preferring local collection options over home delivery if they can pick up their purchase sooner, but also to support local businesses instead of more distant online distributors.
Handmade Crafts
The revival of physical media, such as vinyl, has demonstrated that even in an age of digital ubiquity there remains a substantial demand for tangible objects. This is why greeting card units and other such items of retail furniture are becoming more popular, with stores meeting the demand of customers who want to celebrate handmade crafts and physical tokens.
Crafted products created by regional artisans and creatives are also a part of the demand for a more local high street, with an estimated 37% of customers stating that they seek to shop locally even when it’s more expensive or inconvenient.
Loyalty Initiatives
As concerns about data usage continue to rise, forward-thinking retailers are looking to connect with their customers without relying upon personal data. High street retailers are pushing for a great focus on locality, with sales representatives being encouraged to better connect with their regular shoppers. As a part of this direction, retailers are also looking into new forms of loyalty initiatives, encouraging customers to frequent their shops on a regular basis with the allure of rewards and in-store experiences that cannot be recreated online.
Vintage Design
As is often the case with aesthetics, trends are cyclical and there is an element of nostalgia for bygone visuals now appearing within retail design. Stores are, outside of the fashion brands and interior designers embracing the styles of previous decades, celebrating the positive associations of vintage styles and designs within retail spaces, demonstrating a preference for older trends while seeking also to distance themselves from the ethical concerns involved with modern mass production.
