At We Are Acuity, we love being a founding supporter of the brilliant HighStreetPositives community.
Yesterday we gathered again for the latest webinar on Opportunities and Innovation, hosted by Iain Nicholson, Founder of The Vacant Shops Academy and brought to us by Laura Harris.
Over two hours, we were reminded by a selection of the best minds in the business of all the positive things that are really happening on our high streets right now.
This is always a refreshing change from the usual story.
So much traditional media around high streets still leans towards decline, but these gatherings are always reminder that there is also a huge amount of good thinking, hard work and positive change happening in places all across the country.
Three points really stayed with me.
The first came from Esther Worboys FIPM, who reminded us that every town is unique.
It is such an important point, and one that still gets missed far too often.
Too many places have been approached with a one-size-fits-all mindset, when the reality is that every town has its own identity, its own challenges and its own potential.
The more we understand that, the more likely we are to make better decisions for the people who actually live, work and spend time there.
The second came from Sid Hubbard of Timpson Group, on the value of local teams and the insight they bring.
This one was right up our (high) street!
In multi-location businesses, local teams normally have the clearest understanding of what is working in their area, what is changing and what customers actually need.
That kind of insight is invaluable.
The challenge is making sure it is genuinely listened to, rather than being overridden by assumptions made further away from the action.
The third came from Jonathan Cooper of Sostrene Grene UK, who spoke about the importance of properly understanding a place before deciding to put a business there.
Not just picking a location and hoping it works, but taking the time to understand the local area, the footfall, the demographics and whether the offer is actually right for that place.
That level of understanding should be a given, but too often it still is not.
For me, all three points come back to the same thing.
Better places and better business decisions start with local understanding. Not assumptions, not generic thinking, and not rolling out the same answer everywhere.
There is far more positive work happening on our high streets than many headlines suggest, and communities like hashtag#HighStreetPositives play an important role in bringing those stories, ideas and people together.
If you are not already involved, I would really encourage you to get involved with the High Street Positives community.
And if you are a multi-location brand or a placemaker looking for support in connecting wider ambition with local relevance, do get in touch. We are excited about the opportunities!