You may
recall the recent times when a trip to your local town or city centre for a
shopping spree would take up best part of your day. From the reliance on public
transport, to having to locate the item you want and who could forget to long
queues in the retail outlet? It was tiring no matter how fit you were.
Nowadays,
thanks to online shopping, all of them troubles have seemed to have vanished
and we’ve replaced our dependency on public transport in favour of deliveries
and now we can sit and enjoy shopping from the comfort of our homes. With that,
there’s no surprise why so many of us are choosing to shop online.
A recent report was released, that revealed the number of shops that
been left vacant increased by more than 7,500 last year, which casts a scathing
light on the current high street crisis. Some of the worst hit are banks
and pubs, but many locations where student workers are rife, such as restaurant
chain Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Prezzo Group, have been forced to close some
of their doors as a result of rising costs, slower spending and a rapid change
in consumer behavior.
It was in 2015, when the number of retail closings were higher than
those opening and since then, there has been continued decline year on year.
The closures have continued to rise, with chains becoming more vulnerable. Although
consumer behaviours changes all the time, more and more people are choosing
experiences such as holidays and drinking in their own home, rather than
spending it in a shopping centre or a bar.
So, as we’re seeing the
technological presence continuing to rise, the high street continues to fall
and even firm giants such as House of Fraser and Debenhams have taken a hit.
But how is the decline of physical outlets affecting the student population of
this country?
Within many cities, there are large
volumes of students studying in them who depend heavily on the high street for
part time work, to keep them flowing throughout their costly student life.
Operating on evening shifts during the week and morning shifts on weekend is
the most natural way of implementing employment without getting too much in the
way of academic study time.
A survey
discovered that, out of 2000 students, a third work part time whilst studying
at university and a staggering one in five work two jobs on top of their
academic studies. Furthermore, a quarter admitted that financial stress has
made them consider dropping out of university, which will ultimately snowball
into a bigger problem when it comes to the graduation gap of not enough
students for the required jobs on
the market.
With that mind, what can the remaining high street brands do
to further aid students beyond part time employment?
As far as education is concerned,
industry links are vital, with high street giants such as Topshop and Dr
Marten’s amongst many fashion brands who regularly visit the fashion students
of Newcastle College to set various tasks. Not only does this give invaluable
business experience to the students, it is also
great for the College, boosting its overall Ofsted
score through its commitment to local businesses.
Lisa Hamilton, who is the principal
assistant of the college, said: Not only does this give invaluable business
experience to the students, it is also
great for the College, boosting its overall Ofsted
score through its commitment to local businesses.
The scales are equivalent to the
importance of both parties though. In recent years, student numbers around the
UK have soared and continue to do so, as top grades are becoming more and more
attainable, which means university cities such as Oxford and Leeds have larger
student shares in populations. Oxford for example, with nearly half of its
population coming from the two universities, should be considered a major
prospect when it comes to determining where to sustain inner-city growth.
An Urban
Demographics report was leaked, revealing students account for around 44%
of a city’s population growth. Figures also show that many students who leave
home to attend a university further afield tend to stay there for their first
jobs through contacts they’ve picked up throughout their university experience.
This resurgence, led by young professionals, and soon-to-be graduates, whom are
both most likely to spend their money on the high street, could be the ying to
the high’s streets yang, and vice versa.
