Local business is our business. And the future’s bright.

If you look beyond the click-bait headlines, 2025 has actually been a year of renewed confidence on our High Streets. After years of challenge and reinvention, local business feels alive again — evolving, diversifying and reconnecting with its communities.

At We Are Acuity, we’ve always believed that local business isn’t something nostalgic or sentimental, it’s a vital, living part of how the UK economy grows. This year, that belief has been proven right in data, in community spirit, and in momentum.

From Momentum to Movement

Let’s be clear, 2025 hasn’t been easy. But it’s been pivotal.

High Street footfall rose 0.6% year-on-year in October, reversing a 2.5% drop in September, according to the British Retail Consortium. That might sound modest, but it’s a symbolic shift. Across the UK, daily High Street visitors now average around 32,900 according to Huq Industries, with dwell times nudging higher as shoppers take time to explore and reconnect.

And while total retail footfall is still 0.7% below last year, it’s improving month by month. In May, footfall jumped 10% week-on-week according to the Office for National Statistics, showing the appetite is there when experience and community combine.

In short, we’re no longer talking about recovery. We’re talking about renewal.

The Power of Positivity

That’s exactly what Laura Harris’s High Street Positives has captured — and we’re proud to be a founding member.

The initiative brings together businesses, local authorities, and community champions who believe in optimism through action. It’s a living network proving that collaboration, creativity, and positivity can drive real outcomes for the UK’s High Streets.

High Street Positives is showing what’s possible when we shift the conversation from “saving” to “sustaining” — and from “survival” to “success”. It’s helping local businesses harness shared data, align with local councils, and tell their story with renewed pride.

Because local still matters. More than ever.

The New Local Landscape

2025 has underlined that local isn’t just location — it’s identity.

Consumers are making decisions rooted in values, not just convenience. The latest Bazaarvoice Shopper Preference Survey found that 58% of UK shoppers switched to cheaper brands, and 45% delayed non-essential purchases, but they’re also actively seeking authenticity and community.

That shift is reshaping how national brands show up locally. Savvy chains are now seeing 'local' as a growth driver — tailoring offers, creative, and experiences to reflect the communities they serve. Meanwhile, high streets themselves are starting to evolve into vibrant ecosystems where established retailers, hospitality, and service brands collaborate to create richer, more connected destinations.

Even investors are noticing. By Q3 this year, retail investment hit £5 billion, already surpassing the full total for 2024 — the highest level of high-street inflow since 2017. That’s not sentiment. That’s confidence.

The Challenges Still Ahead

Of course, not every story is a positive one. The UK lost 13,500 stores in 2024 — around 37 per day according to the Centre for Retail Research — and overall retail footfall fell by 2.2%. The truth is, structural change is ongoing. The old High Street model won’t return as it was, and nor should it.

Consumers are still cautious. KPMG’s Consumer Spending Report 2025 shows people feel more confident about their personal finances than the wider economy, signalling that spending power exists but must be earned.

That’s where local businesses have an edge. They’re nimble, human, and deeply connected. When they combine that authenticity with creativity and smart local marketing, they don’t just survive — they lead.

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Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond

If 2025 was the year the High Street found its rhythm again, 2026 will be the year it defines its direction.

We’ll see:

Hybrid local experiences continue to blur online, offline & community engagement.
Data-driven local insight enabling brands to speak more personally to place.
Partnerships between brands & independents creating shared value & mutual visibility.
Sustainability & purpose moving from messaging to measurable action.

With public sentiment leaning local and tangible signs of recovery in both investment and footfall, the opportunity for 2026 is enormous — if we act with intent.

Our Purpose, Proven

At We Are Acuity, our purpose remains as true as ever:

To make local business marketing meaningful for local audiences, and valuable for brands of all sizes.

And our vision remains our north star:

Keeping local at the heart of business.

Five years ago, those words were a rallying cry. Today, they’re reality. We see it in the numbers, in the optimism of movements like High Street Positives, and in the momentum across every community that’s choosing local again.

The Call to Action

Local business is no longer something to be “saved”. It’s something to be celebrated, scaled, and sustained.

The data tells us the tide is turning. The energy on our High Streets tells us the story’s far from over. And the partnerships being forged right now — between brands, communities, and agencies like ours — tell us the future is bright.

So as 2025 draws to a close and 2026 begins, one thing is clear:
local business is everyone’s business.

Let’s make it thrive.