The high street is struggling. UK town centre shop closures may be slowing down, and sales might be picking up, but to say there has been a dramatic improvement in British bricks-and-mortar retail would be overstating the case. In a series of blogs on the future of the British retail landscape, Rob Williams, Head of Retail Agency & Development at Strutt & Parker’s London Head Office, offers up five ideas for reinvigorating retail. This week: Shopping as an experience.

If you are ever in Leeds, West Yorkshire, I would encourage you to visit the city’s new Trinity shopping centre.
 
One million square feet of retail space, comprising 120 units over three floors, an independent cinema, licensed busking spots, rooftop restaurants and interactive LCD screens, the site is a vision for the future of British retail.
 
This £350 million scheme, housed under a glass domed roof, sits at the heart of Leeds’ bustling, vibrant retail space. In these tough times, it is emerging as an innovative example of what retailers will need to do if they are to continue to attract shoppers.
 
Today, the British retail landscape is facing a make-or-break year. Still scarred from the recession, many town centres are struggling to encourage footfall as the ecommerce industry leads the charge.
 
Thing is, shoppers still love the high street. Research in 2013 from retail agency Live & Breathe found that 73% of Britons "care" that the high street is in decline. But while people remain affectionate for the high street, great numbers still prefer to shop online.
 
So what to do?
 
The heart of Trinity’s philosophy is to offer shoppers much more than just shops.
 
The site is an experience, a playground, a place where consumers can shop, yes, but lots more besides. It is a social space, one where shoppers can find something new and different. Something bespoke, individual and memorable.
 
Trinity’s new food and beverage offer – branded Trinity Kitchen – is an innovative food concept that does just that.
 
Trinity Kitchen comprises seven permanent restaurants, all of which are new to Leeds, spread across a 20,000 sq ft indoor food hall. Importantly, although these restaurants’ leases are permanent, they operate on a 10-year lease, which is shorter than most commercial leases.
 
Sitting alongside these sites is the beating heart of Trinity Kitchen: five pop-ups – think vans and trucks, garden sheds and even boats – that operate on just four-week leases. After these guys have finished up at Glastonbury they roll right on over to Trinity and set up shop for a month.
 
Once a month, Trinity selects five new street food vans from across the UK to feature in its Kitchen. They’re hoisted up to the site’s first floor by a hydraulic lift.
 
Intended to be a social eating space, Trinity Kitchen also has the flexibility to provide intimate seating areas alongside spaces for regular live entertainment and events.
 
“Today’s customer wants a truly memorable experience, from the very best retailers and restaurants to exemplary levels of customer service, made easy with the clever use of technology,” said Andrew Turf, leasing manager for Trinity Kitchen.
 
“We are always striving to offer visitors something different every time they visit and we’re delighted to be launching the very latest in eating out concepts at a centre which is setting the benchmark for today’s shopping centres.”
 
Trinity should be seen as an important evolution in British retail culture. It has created a bespoke experience for shoppers and makes a trip to the shops on a Saturday afternoon not a chore, but an experience. It works from one core tenet: give people a reason to visit.