Older people’s charity, Anchor, is highlighting the dire need for the high street to reinvent itself as a new report predicts up to £4.5bn annual losses by 2030, if retailers fail to attract the grey pound.
The report by the Centre for Future Studies, commissioned by Anchor, comes as new polling reveals 1.7 million older people (23% of those aged 70+) say they feel shut out from the high street and 60% say they are concerned by the lack of seating in shopping areas that would allow them to rest.
Anchor’s Standing Up 4 Sitting Down (SU4SD) campaign aims to encourage a change in practice and for the provision of seating on our high streets to be the norm. The campaign is calling for more to be done to tackle inaccessible high streets, help reduce older people’s loneliness, and improve their health and wellbeing – starting with the simple, yet important change, of increasing seating.
Excluded
Chief Executive of Anchor, Jane Ashcroft CBE, says: “Going shopping is something most of us take for granted and yet many thousands of older people feel excluded from our high streets. This is an issue not to be overlooked, as it increases older people’s isolation and loneliness, in turn affecting health and wellbeing. It’s also important for retailers who are missing out on huge amounts of revenue. We must value older people – everyone should have the chance to live life to the fullest, regardless of age.”
The report warns that, as baby boomers reach older age and the strength of the grey pound rockets, high streets must dramatically overhaul themselves into age-friendly integrated community environments. The alternative, by 2030, is the demise of the high street with the disappearance of banks, estate agents, and many well-known brands, leaving just 120,000 shops remaining nationwide.
Dr Frank Shaw, Foresight Director at the Centre for Future Studies, says: “Baby boomers are an economic force to be reckoned with. As they enter older age, their refusal to retire quietly is an opportunity to reinvigorate the high street, transforming it into a diverse, prosperous, and age-friendly environment. The alternative, £4.5bn annual losses and the death of the high street, will be devastating, not just for older people, but for everyone.”
Support from sitting MPs
Since the launch of SU4SD in 2016, there has been some progress to get more seating on high streets. The campaign has welcomed commitment from Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and more than 200 independent stores to increase or maintain the number of seats in their stores. Many MPs from across the political divide are actively supporting this campaign, along with many charities working with older people. But much more needs to be done.
There are a number of ways you can add your voice to the campaign. For example, tell your local shops about it and ask whether they could offer more seating or write to your local retailers. You can download the SU4SD template letter from Anchor’s website www.anchor.org.uk/su4sd or request a hard copy by calling Anchor on 0800 731 2020. Retailers can pledge seats by going to
www.anchor.org.uk/su4sd
